The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is working on the Indian Premier League (IPL) schedule for the remainder of the season and is likely to release it soon.
The Election Commission of India recently announced the 2024 General Elections schedule and the IPL Governing Council is now reworking its first draft of the second phase of the cash-rich league to avoid any clash with the polling dates.
“The Election Commission of India announced the schedule of General Elections so we now know the exact dates. The work is underway on the remainder fixtures and we are reworking some fixtures from the first draft to avoid clashes with polling dates,” IPL GC chairman Arun Dhumal tells CricketNext.
Dhumal insisted that there was never any thought of moving the league out of the country and that the entire league would be played in India only.
“No question of that. The entire IPL will be played in India only. We will ensure to conduct the tournament seamlessly,” adds Dhumal.
The Indian cricket board had announced the schedule of the first two weeks on February 22 and while the draft of the remainder of the season was already prepared, they were waiting for polling dates before making it public. Now that the poll schedule is out, the original draft of fixtures needs some modifications and will be made public soon.
“The BCCI will work closely with government and security agencies, following all necessary protocols and advisories related to the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections in India. Once the dates for the 18th Lok Sabha elections are announced, the Board will review and address any issues pertaining to the schedule of the first two weeks. Subsequently, the BCCI will work in tandem with local authorities to finalize the schedule for the remainder of the season, taking into account the polling dates,” read the IPL Media Advisory on February 22.
Preparations in full swing for the season opener in Chennai
Preparations are in full swing for the IPL 2024 opener between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Chepauk on March 22. Akshay Kumar, AR Rahman, Sonu Nigam and Tiger Shroff are major attractions of the opening ceremony which will see a lot of use of technology this time around.
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“We have gone slightly low on star power this time around and want to create a different experience for fans and viewers with the use of technology. Just like our previous ceremonies and the shows during the World Cup, the IPL 2024 opening ceremony will be a one-of-a-kind experience,” says a BCCI official.
Fan parks across 50 Indian cities
There will be IPL fan parks in as many as 50 Indian cities during the tournament and will be a memorable experience for the fans. There will be a lot of activities at different park parks featuring live action, music, official merchandise, food courts, games and a lot more.
The BCCI announced the fan park schedule for the first two weeks and there will be 15 fan parks during that period.
“The TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 is upon us and the prestigious tournament is set to enthral the fans with the Fan Parks across 50 Indian cities during the tournament, covering the length and breadth of the country. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) always strives to bring the game closer to the fans across the globe and the country and keeping that in mind, brought the Fan Park concept into play in 2015,” read an IPL Media Advisory on March 20.
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