The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to entertain once again. The highly anticipated tournament is likely to kick off on March 22 within the borders of India, confirmed IPL chairman Arun Dhumal on Tuesday. The exciting announcement comes amidst the upcoming general elections, which will pose a logistical challenge for the organizers. Were aiming for a March 22nd start for this seasons IPL, Dhumal revealed to media persons. He further elaborated that the initial schedule will only cover the first ten days, with the remainder dependent on the official announcement of general election dates.IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal said - IPL 2024 schedule will be announced in two halves. The schedule for the first will be announced and then the schedule for the other half will be announced after the announcement of general election dates. (ANI) pic.twitter.com/UMUaql361H— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) February 20, 2024We wouldnt want to announce the entire schedule only to be informed by security agencies that they cant cover specific venues due to elections, Dhumal explained. Shifting venues last minute creates immense logistical hurdles and disrupts the smooth operation of each IPL match. Therefore, weve decided to announce only the initial set of games and finalize the complete schedule once we have a clear picture of election dates in each state.The general election dates are expected to be announced in early March. When questioned about the possibility of hosting the league outside India, Dhumal was adamant. It wont happen overseas. Thats why were waiting for the election dates to plan venues accordingly.BCCI is planning to start IPL 2024 from March 22. IPL 2024 schedule will be announced in two halves. The schedule for the first half will be announced and then the schedule for the other half will be announced after the announcement of general election dates: IPL Chairman Arun… pic.twitter.com/ToaefqK23U— ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2024Previous transference due to electionsThis isnt the first time the IPL has crossed paths with national elections. In 2009, the second season relocated to South Africa due to elections, while in 2014, the initial matches were played in the UAE before returning to India. However, in 2019, the league managed to stay within the country despite coinciding with the Lok Sabha polls.Team selection on IPL performanceConsidering the T20 World Cup kicking off on June 1, the IPL is expected to wrap up by the end of May. Notably, the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) will choose the squad for the T20 World Cup 2024, on the basis of performance in IPL.
