The Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) is scheduled to kick off on March 22, 2024, with the entire tournament set to take place in India despite the concurrent general elections for the Lok Sabha. IPL chairman Arun Kumar Dhumal confirmed this development on Tuesday, February 20.
“We plan to start the tournament in Chennai on March 22,” stated Dhumal to reports.
Acknowledging the logistical challenges posed by running the IPL alongside the elections, which require a significant administrative workforce including state police, crucial for the smooth conduct of IPL matches, Dhumal mentioned that the IPL 2024 schedule might be announced in two phases. The IPL governing council is closely monitoring the election dates to plan the latter half of the tournament accordingly.
Dhumal reassured that the entire IPL 2024 will be held within India, citing the precedent set by the 2019 season, which also coincided with general elections. Continuous dialogue between the board and state authorities aims to ensure the tournament proceeds seamlessly.
Despite the tight timeline, with IPL teams planning camps immediately after the conclusion of the India vs. England Test series on March 11 and the Women’s Premier League (WPL) ending on March 17 in Delhi, host broadcasters are gearing up to organize the IPL’s commencement within 11 days.
