General elections could force IPL 2019 out of India: Report

Should the general elections in India be held in 2019, the BCCI is considering multiple options to shift the Indian Premier League next year to a different venue.

Should the general elections in India be held in 2019, the BCCI is considering multiple options to shift the Indian Premier League next year to a different venue. Reportedly, South Africa, United Arab Emirates and even England are currently on the radar as the potential venues if the need arises.

South Africa hosted the 2009 edition of IPL with elections being held in India. Then, in 2014, UAE hosted the first half of the cash-rich T20 league. So, for BCCI, these two are the preferred venues.

However, in the event of the entire season being shifted to a different country, it is highly likely that South Africa will land the league owing to its infrastructure and past experience of holding big events. UAE, even though its cost-effective, has just three major cricket stadiums [Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi] which might break the deal.
“It [the planning] is an ongoing process,” Mumbai Mirror quoted a source as saying on Tuesday.

The eight franchises and the cricket boards of the three nations have been informed about BCCI’s plans.

Apart from the venue, the timing of the IPL 12 is also a big headache. England will host the World Cup next year. The tournament kicks off from May 30 – right after the IPL season ends. So, keeping that in mind, the season might start a bit early in the last week of March, the report claimed. The exact dates and venue of the event will be cleared only after the confirmation of general elections.

The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators is meeting on Tuesday in Mumbai to discuss the options.