IPL 2019 could kickoff on March 29

IPL 2018 was probably the most engaging season ever, with so many teams competing for those final playoff spots right till the end of the league stage.

Ultimately, CSK managed to pull through, thanks to the shrewdness of MS Dhoni and the big match temperament of all the experienced CSK players.

With the IPL 2018 proving to be such a huge success, fans are eagerly waiting for the 2019 edition, but the 2019 edition will be marred by quite a few issues that the BCCI and the IPL governing body will need to solve quickly.

With general elections scheduled for 2019 and the Cricket World Cup set to commence from May 30, the scheduling of the IPL will be a tricky call for the authorities.

Twice the IPL has been shifted abroad because of general elections, once when the entire event was shifted to South Africa in 2009 where Adam Gilchrist led the Deccan Chargers to a historic win.

And the second time when in 2014 the first 19 days of the IPL were shifted to UAE as police forces couldn’t ensure enough security for the IPL games.

Also, according to the Lodha Committee recommendations, there has to be a 15 day gap between the end of the IPL and India’s next international assignment.

With so much money at stake in the IPL, all stakeholders want it to happen in India itself and thus BCCI and the IPL authorities will have to inform everyone in advance if they are looking to shift the marquee event out of the country.

“The IPL – under the new set of contracts and revenue models – is going to be a billion-dollar entity every season. There’s a lot at stake for many who are committed to the league. Moreover, there’s absolute unanimity among stakeholders that as much as possible, they’d like the league to be played in India, not abroad,” a source said, as quoted by Times of India.

“IPL stakeholders will definitely want to know in advance if the 2019 edition can potentially clash with the elections. Planning in advance will be the key,” he added.

Some very key decisions need to be made regarding the scheduling of the tournament, with the impending World Cup being the major concern.

The Indian players should get at least a month off before the 2019 World Cup, but in the current scenario that seems like a distant dream.

Also, with the elections we could find games being shifted to tier 2 cities, and teams being forced out of their traditional ‘home grounds’.