PremiumIPL 2024 - Will UAE host second leg of the tournament due to elections? Chairman Arun Dhumal says THIS
Recent media reports suggest that the second half of the tournament may witness a venue shift, with teams potentially relocating to the UAE due to the General Elections.
Last Updated: 07.57 PM, Mar 16, 2024
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 is poised to kick off on March 22, featuring a thrilling match between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. While the organizers have released the schedule for the first 21 matches, they are awaiting the Lok Sabha Election Poll dates before confirming the dates for the second leg of the tournament.
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However, recent media reports suggest that the second half of the tournament may witness a venue shift, with teams potentially relocating to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to mitigate scheduling conflicts with the General Elections. With such news making rounds, IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal had to step in and give his statement.
According to him, the tournament is not going anywhere else but will be hosted in India itself. "We are working closely with the government agencies and as soon as the dates of general elections are announced, we will figure out the further plan...and hopefully the second phase of IPL will take place in India only, it's not going anywhere else," Dhumal said, according to news agency IANS.
This statement comes after the Times of India reported a source saying, "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".
The IPL was last held in the UAE in 2020, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in India. During that season, matches were held across three venues: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.
Regarding the IPL 2024 schedule, the final match of the announced fixtures is slated for April 7 in Lucknow. The match will see Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) face off against Gujarat Titans (GT).