BCCI exploring possibility of moving second half of IPL 2024 to Dubai due to general elections: Reports
The Board of Control for Cricket in India is reportedly exploring the possibility of moving the second half of IPL 2024 to Dubai due to the general elections.
The BCCI has announced the schedule for the first 21 matches of IPL 2024 - March 22 to April 7. The rest of the schedule will be announced after the dates for the general elections in India are released.
The Election Commission of India is set to announce the complete schedule for Lok Sabha elections 2024 on Saturday, March 16. According to The Times of India, a few top BCCI officials are in Dubai to explore the possibility of organizing the second half of the T20 league in the Middle East.
"The Election Commission of India will announce the election schedule on Saturday at 3 pm. After that, the BCCI will decide whether IPL matches should be moved to Dubai.
"Currently, a few top BCCI officials are in Dubai to explore the possibility of organizing the second half of the IPL in Dubai," TOI quoted sources as saying.
Meanwhile, according to another report in news agency IANS, some IPL franchises have collected the passports of their players as a precautionary measure if the second half of IPL 2024 gets shifted out of India due to the elections.
It may be recalled that the 2009 edition of the Indian Premier League was held entirely in South Africa due to the general elections in India. The first half of IPL 2014 was also held in the UAE for the same reason.
UAE hosted IPL 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in India. The second half of the 2021 edition was also moved to the UAE. The first half was played in India, but the tournament was suspended subsequently due to the rise in COVID-19 cases.
IPL 2024 set to get underway on March 22
As per the schedule announced by BCCI, defending champions Chennai Super Kings take on Royal Challengers Bangalore at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, March 22 in the season opener. This will be followed by two double-headers on Saturday and Sunday.
As per the released schedule, Mumbai Indians take on Delhi Capitals in Mumbai on April 7 in a day game, while Lucknow Super Giants will face Gujarat Titans in the evening clash in Lucknow. The subsequent schedule for IPL 2024 is awaited.