Mumbai: The T20 World Cup is over, the kick-off date for IPL 2026 has been announced (March 28), yet the schedule has not been released till March 10.
Assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Assam are coming up, but the Election Commission of India (ECI) is yet to announce the dates. The organisers need to be aware of the poll dates because several matches will be held in the capital cities of these three states – Kolkata, Chennai and Guwahati.
Eden Gardens is the home venue of Kolkata Knight Riders, Chidambaram Stadium at Chepauk is the base of Chennai Super Kings, while Rajasthan Royals are scheduled to play three of their ‘home’ games at Barsapara cricket stadium
in Guwahati.
Besides avoiding a clash with poll dates in the three cities, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is having to deal with another X-factor.
Escalating tensions in West Asia amid the war between US-Israel and Iran have started to affect the supply of petroleum and LPG products around the world.
The Indian government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure regular LPG supply for domestic households, but the hospitality sector is feeling the pinch, with several restaurants across cities having to shut down.
For a tournament of IPL’s magnitude, this is not good news as it is deeply linked with the hospitality industry.
If hotels and related sectors face difficulties, it could impact the T20 league and force a rethink by organisers.
IPL Governing Council chairman Arun Dhumal is closely monitoring the situation.
“We are reviewing the development. Since this is an evolving situation, nothing can be said as of now. But given the requirements of the situation, we will take a call accordingly,” Dhumal was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express.