Next year’s Lok Sabha polls, due to be held during summer holidays around April-May, have effectively moved the Indian Premier League T20 cricket tournament, an annual fixture, out of the country.  The organizers have said that IPL, 2019 would be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The 11th edition of the IPL, arguably world’s premier cricketing event after the Cricket World Cup for ODIs and T20 matches, is presently in progress at various cities in India.  The 12th edition, to be held from 29th March to 19th May next year, would not be held in the country as it coincides with the run-up to the all-important Lok Sabha polls which would decide the fate of the BJP and the Congress for the next five years.

It may be recalled that the very second edition of the IPL (in 2009) was held in South Africa for the same reason.  There is also a proposal floating among the IPL organizers and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials to hold half-the number of matches in India and take the remaining half the number of matches to UAE.

Nothing has so far been finalized.  In 2014 too, the first few matches of that year’s edition of IPL were held in UAE which has got used to the routing of conducting the high-octane IPL matches.  A final decision in this regard, however, is to be taken only after the dates for Lok Sabha polls to be held next year are announced.