The clash of the Lok Sabha elections with the Indian Premier League (IPL) has had the speculation of the 12th edition of the tournament being hosted outside the country going on for a while.
A recent meeting between the BCCI bosses and the sports ministry officials has stirred a speculation that the cricket board is looking to take IPL 2019 outside india.
“We explained to them that the key parties concerned are the ministries of home and external affairs. Apart from the other two ministries, the sports ministry’s approval is required only in case of hosting the tournament in India. Still, they (BCCI delegates) wanted to make sure about the paperwork or permissions required on the sports ministry’s part,” a source was quoted as saying.
Rahul Johri, the BCCI CEO, had earlier suggested that the board is working towards hosting the tournament in India as the broadcaster (Star Sports) and the franchises were against hosting the tournament elsewhere because of logistical issues.
IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla had earlier spoken about the possibilities of hosting the tournament on foreign shores this season, suggesting a clash of dates with the general elections would leave the management with not many options other than taking the cash-rich league outside the country.
“If the dates of the general elections clash with those of the Indian Premier League, then the tournament will be held outside the country. But as of now, we are waiting for the dates to decide on how to go ahead with the scheduling,” Shukla had said.
The IPL 12 is expected to start on March 29, while the General Elections are also expected to be held in March – April.
