The schedule of the most popular cricket league has been not been decided yet. A few days ago we saw that the auction process is completed. We are now waiting for a schedule of the matches for IPL 2019. If you are waiting for this schedule, you will have to wait for a little bit more. BCCI will announce the schedules after the announcement of general parliamentary elections date by the Election Commission of India. The BCCI will have to make some very delicate to ensure that the dates of the matches do not clash with those of the parliamentary elections as matters of security will also be involved. The BCCI have four possible options to choose from in a situation like this and they will decide on one or more of them only when they are certain of the dates of the elections in the different parts of the country.
The first option open to the BCCI is the caravan format in which all the teams will be travelling together. Here, anywhere between five to eight teams will be requested to host all the 60 matches. This, in my opinion, this is a good way to ensure the security of the players as well as for the matches. It will also be easier on the government security forces because it is they who provide the security for all concerned.
The second option is to organise matches in smaller stadiums where the elections do not come in conflict with holding the matches. In such cases, when there is a problem in organising matches in India, the BCCI has usually opted to shift them to the UAE. In my opinion, it is also a good idea because, in places where there is no conflict of interest, preparations can go quickly and smoothly for the matches.
The third idea is to host some of the matches in the UAE and the rest in India. This arrangement has been already tested by the BCCI in the IPL during 2014. That year it turned out quite well because some of the matches held in the UAE were of lesser significance. The important ties like the semi-finals and the final were held in India. So the BCCI could shift only those matches that they find difficult to hold in India, to the UAE.
The fourth option is hosting the entire tournament in South Africa. This should be the last option that the BCCI should choose. This idea has also been tested in the IPL of 2009. It turned out to be the most boring IPL ever. As the franchises are city based most of those who come to the Stadiums are Indians. The audiences in South Africa were nowhere as close to the audiences that we get in India or even in the UAE. The BCCI will do well to rule this out as an option rendering the matches boring to watch.
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