More teams and owners wanting a new start time puts ICC and its affiliates on notice

The biggest story in Indian cricket on Wednesday wasn’t the national team’s impending Test series with New Zealand, or even the sandpaper saga that has regripped Australia, rather it was Hardik Pandya’s transfer from the Mumbai Indians to the Punjab Kings.

The IPL dominates Indian cricket in a way that no other franchise league does in the other major cricket nations. In South Africa there was interest in last year’s big players auction for the SA20, but it was never the most important topic in South African cricket.

In fact, in South Africa, Australia, England, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, Bangladesh and even Pakistan, where their Super League is a very big deal, the ― men’s ― national team is the most important cricket subject.

In India, it’s become increasingly debatable whether that is the case and worryingly in the last few days, a noticeable gap appears to be emerging that should demand attention from cricket followers around the world.

Cricket finds itself in a very dangerous situation. Behind closed doors talks are likely to have started for the ICC about the next round of broadcast rights, after 2027. The organisation has already informed its member affiliates, including Cricket South Africa, to expect less money from that deal than the previous one. Meanwhile those same ICC members are negotiating ― this week in Bali ― the next Future Tours Programme, which will kick in from 2028.

At the same time it has been reported in India, that the IPL ― currently made up of 10 teams ― is considering expansion via the addition of two new franchises from 2028, which is also when a new four-year broadcast deal for the competition is set to begin.

Amid this rapidly evolving environment, a co-owner of an IPL franchise raised the prospect of moving the tournament from its current March-May window to January.

Juhi Chawla, a former Miss India, one of the country’s leading actresses and currently a shareholder in the Kolkata Knight Riders Franchise, wrote on x.com that “the IPL no longer needs to find its place in the cricket calendar. It has earned the right to influence it.”

Chawla believes the heat in April and May is oppressive and has created an inferior product. January is cooler, hence the cricket might be better.

Add all these things together ― more teams, bigger tournaments, more weeks (possibly months) out of the calendar, less broadcast money for the international game ― and what have you got?

The effects for Cricket SA would be profound. This country’s biggest cricket match ― the New Year’s Test in Cape Town ― could be in jeopardy, the SA20, which currently has a January/February window, almost certainly would be in jeopardy. The Big Bash in Australia and that country’s international season ― which also includes a New Year’s Test in Sydney ― would face similar problems as would the proposed New Zealand T20 competition.

Lalit Modi, the IPL’s first commissioner, doesn’t care. He replied to Chawla that “the IPL does not need the ICC to give it a window. The BCCI can decide when to stage it.”

That is an ominous remark ― albeit one from an administrator who has faced a plethora of legal troubles since being ousted from the IPL in 2010.

Where would that leave the ICC, CSA, CA or any other national affiliate?

The more pertinent question regards the Indian market and especially the most sought-after market for broadcasters and streamers, the age group of 18-45. The majority of that bracket has had the IPL as part of their cricket consumption for most of their lives.

What do Indians want from cricket? Is it to know Hardik Pandya’s next move? Whether Virat Kohli can add to his two IPL titles with Royal Challengers Bangalore or if Rohit Sharma can put one more championship run together for Mumbai Indians? Is MS Dhoni going to keep playing for Chennai Super Kings?

Or is the India market interested in the fact that all of their legends ― Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly, Kohli, Dhoni, Rohit and Jasprit Bumrah ― have failed to win a Test series in South Africa?

Because if they did, then Chawla and Modi’s opinions would be dismissed.

Ironically, also on the agenda at the ICC meeting in Bali are the first recommendations from the Franchise League Review Group and the Governance Review Committee, both of which were established at the ICC Annual Conference in July 2026.

The Franchise League Review Group has been tasked with examining ways to strengthen the existing ICC sanctioning framework amid the growing number of franchise-based leagues worldwide. The review aims to address emerging challenges while protecting the broader cricket ecosystem.

That ecosystem seems to be under attack, from cricket’s richest country and the sport’s most lucrative commodity. At some point, something’s got to give and it may be the Indian market that decides what that will be.