Published: Oct 31, 2013, 04:38 PM (IST)
Edited: Oct 31, 2013, 04:38 PM (IST)
Indian Premier League was held in South Africa in 2009 © Getty Images
Oct 31, 2013
The seventh edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) is unlikely to be shifted outside India, as contemplated due to general elections.
The governing council is yet to discuss over the issue. Just like what happened during the 2009 edition when IPL was shifted to South Africa, there was an inkling that it would be held out of country next year in likely United Arab Emirates or Bangladesh or South East Asia.
According to well-informed sources though, it is “most unlikely” that the tournament would take place outside India in 2014.
“Firstly, it’s going to be a very crunched tournament because there’ll be no more than 60 matches comprising eight teams. That shouldn’t take more than 45 days even if daily match schedules aren’t necessarily packed down to two matches every evening,” an official was quoted as saying by Times of India.
He also said, “Whether South Africa or UAE, one has to consider that franchises will also be majorly affected in terms of finances. I read somewhere that even England was in contention. At the present exchange rate, where’s the logic?”
With only eight teams playing in 2014, the format would be similar to first two years of IPL television ratings and advertisement revenue was at its peak.
“The span of the tournament becomes lesser which means there’s lesser chance of the tournament becoming excruciatingly long and tiring for potential viewers. It is something that the brains behind IPL had discussed back in 2009 and 2010,” believes the official.
“Ideally, elections dates are announced three months in advance and we haven’t read or heard anything about it as yet. As far as the FTP is concerned, India does not have any commitments after the tour of New Zealand in February next year and the only other marquee series during that time is Australia’s tour of South Africa which finishes by the first week of March. After that, the entire month of March is a free window,” believes another source.
