Follow Us
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 is set to uphold its traditional home-and-away format despite the logistical hurdles presented by the concurrent Lok Sabha elections and the T20 World Cup. Arun Dhumal, the chairman of the IPL Governing Council, has confirmed the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) commitment to conducting the tournament across India, emphasizing the aim for fairness and equal opportunities among the competing teams.
As of now, the BCCI has made public the schedule for the first 21 matches, taking place from March 22 to April 7. The announcement of the dates for the remaining games is on hold, awaiting further details on the election schedule. Dhumal reassures fans and stakeholders, “Even in 2019, the IPL was played in a home-away format in its entirety despite the general elections. This time, too, once the dates for the elections are out and we have clarity about the dates and the phases for the polls, we can work out the next phase of the IPL,” as reported by Sportstar (https://sportstar.thehindu.com/).
The 2019 IPL edition managed to navigate through the election period without disrupting its schedule, running from March 23 to May 12, while the elections spanned seven phases from April 11 to May 19. The IPL had previously encountered similar challenges, notably in 2014 and 2009. In 2014, the first 20 matches were held in the United Arab Emirates due to the elections, before returning to India for the rest of the tournament. In 2009, the entire tournament was shifted to South Africa to avoid the election period in India.
Dhumal’s statement indicates a strong preference for keeping the IPL within Indian borders, ruling out the possibility of moving any part of the tournament abroad on short notice. “We would ideally want to have home and away games, but in case there’s a problem figuring out the (time), we will see how we can accommodate that. The idea is that nobody should get an advantage over the other team and there has to be uniformity,” he highlighted, ensuring that the essence of competition remains undiluted.
This decision underscores the BCCI’s dedication to maintaining the IPL’s stature and its commitment to fan engagement, ensuring that the league’s expansive fan base in India can enjoy the spectacle of cricket amidst the bustling election season. The IPL continues to be a marquee event in the cricket calendar, and the BCCI’s efforts to navigate through logistical challenges reaffirm its significance in promoting the sport across the nation.
“Given the time we have in April and May, it would be very difficult to take this tournament to any other country. If you talk about Dubai, it would be very hot around that time, and other teams have their bilateral commitments. Given the number of matches we have, I don’t think not many venues can take this load in such a short time. The team at BCCI is best equipped and we will take it as a challenge and have a good tournament,” he said.
