BCCI Secretary Jay Shah Confirms Entire IPL 2024 Will be Held in India Despite Lok Sabha Elections
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has declared that the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 will proceed as planned within the country, despite overlapping with the Lok Sabha elections. Earlier, the BCCI had released a partial schedule for IPL, encompassing only 17 days and mentioning 21 matches.
The announcement was made while keeping a close watch on the Lok Sabha election dates, ensuring that the 17th season of IPL can be hosted in the country. Speculations arose suggesting a partial IPL season might be conducted in the UAE. However, with the announcement of Lok Sabha election dates, the BCCI decided to halt all such deliberations.
Jay Shah, the Secretary of the Board, explicitly stated that IPL 2024 will be entirely held in India, dismissing any plans of moving it to the UAE or any other country. The new season of IPL commenced on March 22nd.
IPL to Remain in India During Elections
Once again, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to hold the entire season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) within the country during the Lok Sabha elections. This marks the second instance after a similar decision was made in 2019. In 2014, half the season was hosted in India while the other half took place in the UAE, and in 2009, the league was held in South Africa.
Jay Shah stated to the press, “The entire IPL will take place in India. The BCCI is working on the complete schedule and will announce it shortly.” It’s worth noting that the Lok Sabha elections will span seven phases, commencing on April 19th and concluding on June 4th. Despite facing similar circumstances during the 2019 general elections, the BCCI successfully organized the IPL in India.
Schedule of 21 Matches Announced for IPL 2024
The schedule for the first 21 matches of IPL 2024 has been unveiled. The tournament will kick off with a clash between defending champions Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 22nd. The last match of the current schedule is set for April 7th. Following that, the remainder of the tournament will also be held in India. The BCCI will announce the schedule for the remaining fixtures shortly after the conclusion of the Lok Sabha elections.
