Will the rest of IPL 2026 go ahead without spectators? CTI appeals to Sports Ministry to reduce fuel consumption

Amid surging fuel prices in India, the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has formally written to the Union Sports Ministry requesting that the remaining matches of IPL 2026 be played at limited venues without spectators.

“Since the Indian Premier League (IPL) began on March 31st, the teams have likely covered hundreds of thousands of kilometres by air and road by now. Given the team schedules and how matches are organized across different cities, this travel is justified from a logistical standpoint. However, under current circumstances, this extensive air travel could put an additional burden on the Government of India,” CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal wrote to Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, in the letter dated 17 May.

He added, "At a time when every government department, politician, official, ordinary citizen, and Prime Minister Modi Ji are trying to avoid unnecessary expenditures on his advice, IPL seems to be the only event in this difficult time that appears completely unaffected by any crisis." 

“The CTI demands that air travel be reduced and a new schedule be released for the remaining matches of the IPL. The remaining IPL matches should be held across a limited number of venues without spectators. Even during the Corona period, organizers successfully conducted the IPL across a limited number of venues; furthermore, the remaining matches of the IPL can be held without an audience,” the letter reads.

“Because an average of nearly 50,000 spectators attend a single match, thousands of liters of petrol and diesel are consumed."

According to CTI, chartered aircraft typically used by IPL teams, such as the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320, consume approximately 2,400 to 3,000 litres of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) per hour. If a flight lasts approximately two hours based on this calculation, the estimated consumption is around 5,000 to 6,000 litres of ATF, the CTI letter said.

“If the aircraft is slightly larger or flying a long distance with extra weight, this figure can even go up to 7000 to 8000 litres. Now, if this fuel expenditure is multiplied by approximately 10 air journeys per team, it can be said that each team is consuming nearly 50,000 to 70,000 litres of aviation fuel," read the letter.

“The need of the hour is to reschedule the remaining matches of the IPL to be played on a limited number of grounds, and for the matches to be organized without spectators. This will save lakhs of litres of fuel, petrol, and diesel, and reduce the burden on the country,” Goyal concluded. 

The IPL is approaching its business end, with the playoffs starting from 26 May. Dharamsala will host Qualifier 1, while Mullanpur will host Eliminator and Qualifier 2. The IPL 2026 final will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 31 May.