IPL to Stay In India: BCCI Secretary Jay Shah Confirms Post Lok Sabha Election Date Announcement

In an interview, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah confirmed that the Indian Premier League (IPL) would not be relocated overseas, despite earlier speculation suggesting a potential move to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to India’s General Elections. Shah’s statement came after reports hinted at the possibility of shifting a portion of the lucrative T20 league to the UAE amidst the General Election dates announcement.

“The IPL will not be moved overseas,” Shah asserted to Cricbuzz on Saturday. The General Elections are scheduled to take place from April 19 to June 4, overlapping with the IPL’s timeline. The IPL commences on March 22 with a clash between the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings and the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai. As of now, the schedule for the first two weeks has been finalized.

Previously, reports from the Times of India suggested that some BCCI officials were in the UAE to assess the feasibility of relocating the latter half of the IPL to the Gulf country. “The Election Commission of India will announce the election schedule on Saturday at 3 pm. After that, the BCCI will decide whether the tournament should be moved to Dubai. Currently, a few top BCCI officials are in Dubai to explore the possibility of organizing the second half of the IPL in Dubai,” stated a BCCI official.

Also read: Gautam Gambhir Returns To KKR; Calls It ‘A Very Successful Franchise’