Arun Dhumal, the chairman of the IPL Governing Council, remains optimistic about the continuation of the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in its home-and-away format, despite facing logistical challenges posed by the impending Lok Sabha elections and the T20 World Cup.
While acknowledging the complexities arising from these events, Dhumal assured that the tournament would proceed in India, with the schedule for the first 21 games already released by the BCCI.
Highlighting past instances, Dhumal mentioned that the IPL successfully navigated similar circumstances during the 2019 edition, which coincided with the general elections. He expressed confidence in planning the subsequent phases of the tournament once the election dates are finalized.
Addressing concerns about maintaining fairness, Dhumal emphasized the importance of ensuring equal opportunities for all teams, regardless of the scheduling constraints.
While IPL 2014 was conducted in two phases across multiple venues, including the United Arab Emirates and India, Dhumal ruled out the possibility of relocating a portion of the tournament outside India at short notice.
Considering the time constraints and logistical considerations, Dhumal dismissed the feasibility of hosting matches in other countries, citing potential challenges such as extreme weather conditions and existing bilateral commitments of participating teams.
Despite the concurrent T20 World Cup scheduled to commence in June, Dhumal expressed confidence in the BCCI’s ability to overcome challenges and deliver a successful IPL season.
