IPL 2019 COULD BE HELD OUTSIDE INDIA; HERE ARE THE TWO VENUES BCCI HAS IN MIND

The next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2019) could very well be held outside India, if the dates of the much-awaited tournament clashes with that of the 2019 general elections in the country. This is not the first time the tournament is being held outside the country.

The 2009 edition of IPL was held in South Africa, and in 2014, the first half of the tournament was held in UAE. In both of these editions, the tournament was held outside the country as the dates clashed with that of the general elections.

In an exclusively interview with Hindustan Times, IPL Chairman Rajiv Shukla said that the board is waiting for the general election dates to be announced before taking a call on holding the tournament in another 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 said.

Asked about the possible options if the tournament is shifted, Shukla said, “The experience of hosting the IPL in the UAE was brilliant and that option is definitely there. But another option could be South Africa. Like I said before, the call will be taken keeping in mind the general elections and its dates.”

The 2018 edition of the tournament was won by the returning Chennai Super Kings, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.