As the General Elections 2019 is around the corner, the recent reports suggested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday (February 5) has delayed the announcement of the much-awaited fixtures of the twelfth edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL 2019).
The clash with the Lok Sabha elections is as a strong reason for the holdup of IPL 2019 fixtures. The upcoming elections might take place between April and May.
However, it’s expected that the fixture could be revealed between February 10 and February 20.
Last week, the Mumbai Mirror maintained the national cricket governing body BCCI is expected to release the fixture of IPL 2019 on Monday (February 4).
“We’re working closely with the Election Commission and all the authorities concerned and hopefully it will be out in a week,” a BCCI official told Mirror.
On the other side, the Election Commission of India is yet to announce the schedule for the general elections in the country which eventually kept the cricket board guessing.
Earlier, the concerned authorities revealed the dates and venues could be changed owing to the smooth procedure of the elections.
Pertinently, the successful professional domestic league will commence from March 23.
In January 2019, the Board has been it clear that lucrative league will take place in India. The clearance came when reports revealed the IPL might be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Board has decided to conduct the IPL at the earliest due to the 2019 World Cup. The ICC’s major event will begin from May 30. The opener of the quadrennial event will take place between hosts England and South Africa at Kennington Oval in London.
In 2009, South Africa held the shortest version of the game due to the General Election. However, in 2014, UAE hosted the first-half of the mega event.
Also, it would be interesting to see whether teams would be able to play their all seven home matches.