There is very little clarity over the venue for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). While the BCCI has already confirmed that at least the first few games of IPL 2024 will be played in India, their decision to not announce the whole schedule has raised several eyebrows.
Last month, the BCCI announced that IPL 2024 will be played from March 22 and released a partial schedule comprising an initial set of 21 matches between March 22 and April 7. The BCCI is expected to release the remaining schedule once the Election Commission of India announces the dates of the upcoming general election which are likely to take place in April and May.
IPL 2024 is on a collision course with the elections and its schedule will depend a lot on the election schedule. In 2009, the entire tournament had to be shifted to South Africa due to the general elections. Five years later, the initial phase of the competition was played in the United Arab Emirates before the tournament returned home. However, in 2019, the entire tournament was held in India even though it was an election year.
IPL 2024 to take place outside India?
While the BCCI is adamant about hosting the entire IPL 2024 in India, there is a chance that the tournament might have to be shifted outside the country. According to reports, the franchises have asked their players to submit their passports to remain prepared if the tournament indeed moves outside the country in the coming days.
According to Dainik Jagran’s Abhishek Tripathi, he was told by a coach of an IPL franchise that the players have been asked to submit their passports. He further stated that the franchises have collected the passports for visa work, a clear indication that the franchises have been told to stay prepared if the IPL moves outside India in the coming days.
The veteran journalist further insisted that although the franchises have been collecting the passports of their players, IPL 2024 is unlikely to be shifted outside India. At the same time, he also said that in case the tournament shifts outside, the UAE is likely to be the preferred venue.