IPL 2024: The Indian Premier League To Start On 22nd March, Says Chairman Arun Dhumal

The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League is gearing up for its commencement on March 22, with the entire tournament set to unfold within India despite the concurrent general elections, revealed IPL chairman Arun Dhumal on Tuesday.

IPL 2024

“We are aiming for a March 22 kickoff for this season’s IPL,” Dhumal informed The Indian Express. He elaborated that initially, the schedule for the first 10 days will be unveiled, with subsequent fixtures announced once the election dates are officially confirmed.

Dhumal emphasized the necessity of synchronizing with security agencies to ensure adequate arrangements. “We don’t want to find ourselves in a scenario where we’ve announced the full IPL schedule only to discover that security personnel aren’t available for specific venue games,” he explained. “Last-minute venue changes entail significant logistical challenges and machinery adjustments, necessitating ample time for each IPL game to be executed.”

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He clarified that staging the IPL overseas is not on the table, underlining the league’s commitment to waiting for Lok Sabha election dates to plan venues accordingly.

This isn’t the first instance of the IPL coinciding with general elections. In 2009, the second season was relocated to South Africa, while in 2014, the initial 20 matches were held in the UAE before transitioning back to India. In 2019, despite the overlapping schedules, all IPL matches were conducted within the country.

With the T20 World Cup commencing on June 1, it’s imperative that the IPL concludes no later than the end of May.