Despite speculated clash with election schedule, IPL 2019 to be played in India

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New Delhi: Despite speculations galore that the Indian Premier League this year may be shifted to another country due to upcoming Lok Sabha elections, it was decided on Tuesday that the T20 tournament would continue to be hosted in India.

A release issued by Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators informed that the 12th edition of the tournament would be played in India once again and that it will begin from March 23. A full schedule of the tournament would be decided upon after discussions with relevant authorities, the release further informed.

The release also said that the decision to keep the tournament in India was taken 'after preliminary discussions with appropriate central and state agencies/authorities.'

Since the inaugural edition of IPL - in 2008, the tournament has only been played on foreign soil twice. In 2009, the tournament was played in South Africa because its schedule clashed with the Lok Sabha elections in India that year. In 2014, a part of the tournament was played in UAE - once again because of Lok Sabha elections that year. Both years, security issues were cited as the reason.