MUMBAI: Is there a possibility of the second half of the IPL being held in Dubai, since dates could clash with the general elections?
"The
Election Commission of India
will announce the election schedule on Saturday at 3 pm. After that, the
BCCI
will decide whether IPL matches 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," sources said.
There are reports in the media, saying some IPL teams have asked their players to submit their passports.
This has also led to speculation over a shift of venue outside India. The first half of the 2014 IPL was also held in the UAE due to general elections.
The BCCI has announced the schedule of the first half of the IPL, which includes 21 matches, with the last match of this schedule being on April 7 in Lucknow between Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans.
The IPL starts this season with the first match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 22 in Chennai.
The last time the IPL was held in UAE was in 2020 when three venues - Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah - staged the matches because of the outbreak of Covid pandemic in India.