The upcoming 17th edition of the much-anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) is set to begin on March 22, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal told PTI on Tuesday, February 20, 2024.
He also stated that despite the general elections in India taking place at the same time, the tournament will be held entirely in India. The elections are expected to be held in April and May and that is the main reason why the schedule for the IPL's 17th edition has not been unveiled yet.
Dhumal also said that at first, only the schedule of the first 15 days will be announced and the roster for the remaining games will be decided after the announcement of the general election dates. The dates of the Lok Sabha polls are expected to be announced early next month.
"We are looking at a March 22 start for the tournament. We are working closely with the government agencies and we will first release the initial schedule. The entire tournament will be held in India. The Lok Sabha polls are anticipated to have their dates announced early next month,” Dhumal told PTI.
Only once in 2009, the IPL was played entirely overseas, in South Africa during general elections. In 2014, the IPL was partially held in the UAE due to the same reasons. However, in 2019, the tournament was held in India despite the elections.
As is the norm, the IPL opener will be played between last year's finalists, the winners Chennai Super Kings in this case, and runners-up Gujarat Titans.
Considering the start of the T20 World Cup 2024 on June 1, the final of the IPL 2024 is expected to be held on May 26.
India will play its first group A match against Ireland in New York on June 5 while the ICC showpiece begins with the USA and Canada clash on June 1.
(PTI inputs)
