IPL 7: Sponsors, team franchises root for UAE as venue

IPL 7: Sponsors, franchises root for UAE as venue

Mar 7, 2014

Sponsors and team franchises want the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2014 to be held in UAE. The venue for the seventh edition of the IPL has been topic of much debate for the last few weeks. As the dates of general elections were announced on Wednesday, the dates for scheduling the IPL became clearer. IPL cairman Ranjib Biswal had said that 60 to 70 per cent matches in the seventh edition of the Twenty20 tournament will be held in India.

Considering the logistical ease and the short and cheap flights between India and UAE, sponsors and team franchises preferred the Middle Eastern venue, reported the Economic Times.

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Providing security for the Twenty20 mega-event was the major issue with naming the venue. The Home Ministry had already made it clear that in view of the Lok Sabha elections, providing security for IPL matches would not be possible.

Such a situation occurred during the 2009 elections and the IPL was held in South Africa. But with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Cricket South Africa’s (CSA’s) relations being strained over the last few years, the Rainbow Nation was not seen as an ideal venue again.

Bangladesh and United Arab Emirates (UAE) were seen as the likelier venues. The dates for IPL 2014 are yet to be determined, but should be done so quickly.