IPL 7 could be held in two phases; overseas options include UAE, South Africa and Bangladesh

2014 General Eections provides headache for the IPL authorities

The IPL Governing Council will sit down for a meeting after the conclusion of the player auctions in Bangalore on 13 February to discuss the venues that will host IPL 2014. The United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Bangladesh have all emerged as possible hosts for the T20 tournament.

According to a BCCI official, the board is waiting for the dates of the general elections in India to be declared before making an announcement regarding the schedule and venues for the 7th edition of the cash-rich IPL. The general elections will take place in April-May in all likelihood. With the World T20 in Bangladesh concluding on April 6 and the IPL likely to start around April 10, the organisers are scouting for alternative venues.

“It is not a question of who is the favourite to host. We are open to a few venues: Middle East (UAE), South Africa and Bangladesh. South Africa is open to host but we have to consider the logistics and the timings before we make up our mind,” a BCCI official told ESPNcricinfo. “In my personal opinion, South Africa is a good contender. But UAE is also there. There are too many matches. So we will discuss everything at the Governing Council.”

South Africa, which hosted the second edition of the IPL after the tournament clashed with general elections in India, has once again emerged as the most likely candidate to host this year’s tournament. According to an IPL insider, the UAE is “not viable” considering the staging will require “too many government clearances”. He also said: “The Middle East has not been a spectator-friendly venue of late.”

Bangladesh is hosting the Asia Cup and the World T20 in quick successions, which has raised the speculation in the IPL Governing Council about the state of the pitches in the country by the time the IPL comes around. The limited availability of five-star or seven-star hotels could also pose a hurdle to staging IPL matches in and around Dhaka.

The BCCI hopes to host the big-ticket games, especially the play-offs in India. Depending on the election dates, the tournament is likely to be divided into two halves – at home and overseas.

“If the elections are held in April, then the first half will be played abroad. But if the elections are in May, we may play the initial games in India,” another BCCI official said.