BCCI secretary Jay Shah has firmly dismissed speculation suggesting that the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 could be shifted to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to the upcoming general elections in India. The general elections are scheduled to take place in seven phases between April 19 and June 1.
With endless rumors making the rounds on social media regarding players being requested to store their passports with franchisers, Shah had to clarify that the whole tournament will be played in India.
Shah set the record straight, stating, “The entire IPL will be held in India. We will be formulating the remaining schedule very soon and announce it.”
he first two weeks of the IPL schedule have already been released, with the defending champions Chennai Superkings taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore at home on March 22. In a previous conversation with PTI, Shah had reiterated that the tournament would be taking place in India in its entirety, much like what had happened in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The EC was yet to announce the poll dates, and the BCCI was waiting to finalize the full schedule. Earlier in the day, IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal also rubbished the reports circulating about the tournament being played in the UAE, calling them baseless.
Although the IPL was played out of the country during the general elections in 2014, when the first phase was held in the UAE before returning to India for the second phase, the BCCI has made it clear that the entire 2024 edition will take place within India.