The highly awaited 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League is expected to begin on March 22. Arun Dhumal, the chairman of the league, has stated that the high-stakes tournament will be hosted entirely in India, even though it clashes with the general elections scheduled for April and May. Consequently, the official full schedule has not yet been made public.
The much-anticipated cricket tournament, Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 is set to begin on March 22. League chairman Arun Dhumal confirmed that all the matches of the cash-rich tournament will be held in India despite the dates coinciding with general elections. With the elections slated to be held in April and May, the schedule for the IPL 2024 season has not been officially unveiled yet.
In an interview with PTI, Dhumal noted that the league will initially release the schedule for the first 15 days, leaving the remaining fixtures to be decided after the general election dates are set, which is expected early next month. He reaffirmed the goal of starting on March 22 and mentioned that the league is working hand-in-hand with government agencies to ensure the tournament stays within India.
Looking back, the IPL has only been moved entirely out of the country once, in 2009, when it was hosted in South Africa. In 2014, election conflicts forced the first 20 matches to be played in the UAE, but by 2019, the league managed to hold the entire event in India despite the elections.
Since the T20 World Cup starts shortly after the IPL ends, the grand finale is expected to take place on May 26. India's World Cup journey begins on June 5 against Ireland in New York, following the tournament's opening match between the USA and Canada on June 1. As for the IPL 2024 kickoff, the opening match will feature a clash between the defending champions, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and the runners-up, Gujarat Titans (GT).