Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has informed the BCCI that they have no objection if the board wants to hold the matches of the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League (OPL) post the General Elections, sources said. However, the MHA has directed the board to speak to the concerned state governments for the security purposes.
The dates of General Elections in India, which conclude on May 16, have coincided with the scheduling of IPL 7 – thus casting a shadow over the league going ahead on schedule or the initial part of it moving out of the country.
According to reports earlier on Monday, the MHA okayed a proposal from the BCCI to hold “44 of the 60” matches of IPL 7 within the country, with Bangladesh being the favourite to host the first 14 matches of the tournament.
IPL 7 tentatively begins on April 9 and all franchise owners have been told by the governing council that if the General Elections – to be held in phases across the country between April and May – clash with the IPL, then some part of IPL has to take place outside the country. Back in 2009, the entire tournament had to be moved to South Africa due to the same reason.
The BCCI has to complete IPL 7 between April 9 and June 3 as the window can’t be stretched because India have to tour England soon afterwards.
