IPL 2019 set to be held entirely in India

The twelfth edition of the IPL will be held entirely in India, ending speculations about the venue being shifted outside the country. The 2019 season will begin on March 23, according to a statement by the CoA.

Owing to the general elections and its logistical ramifications, the 2019 IPL was rumoured to be held outside India, preferably in South Africa or the United Arab Emirates. However, according new reports, the tournament is scheduled to start six days ahead of the originally reported date, with the date of the finals yet to be confirmed.

With the World Cup 2019 to follow, the IPL schedule has been brought forward from the usually stipulated period of April-May. The new schedule would mean that the season would end by the end of April/early May, giving players enough time ahead of the 50-over global affair, that begins on May 30.

“Based on the preliminary discussions with the appropriate central and state agencies/authorities, it was decided that the 12th edition of the world's most popular and competitive T20 tournament will be scheduled to be played in India. It is proposed that the VIVO IPL 2019 will commence on March 23, 2019. The detailed schedule will be finalised in consultation with the appropriate authorities,” a CoA statement said

The scheduling of the World Cup means that several top cricketers are likely to miss the IPL, with teams ensuring that their workload is balanced ahead of the 50-over competition. Top T20 stars like Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell withdrew themselves from the 2019 auctions, and teams like Australia have given their players cut-off dates to return for World Cup preparation.

In the past, the general elections have led to a change in the host for the IPL - previously, the 2009 season was played entirely in South Africa, due to clashes with voting dates. In 2014, a part of the IPL was played in the United Arab Emirates for similar reasons.