IPL Heads to UAE & Bangladesh for 2014 Season

The United Arab Emirates has been revealed as the host of the opening matches of the 2014 Indian Premier League, which begins next month.

The event, which is normally staged in India, was forced to move its opening 16 matches to the UAE, with Bangladesh on standby to play host in early May due to the clash with India’s elections.

A statement on the IPL website revealed that the tournament would run from April 16 until June 1, with the final matches to be played in India.

“From Wednesday 16th April to Wednesday 30th April, at least 16 matches will be held in the United Arab Emirates,” a statement read.

“BCCI is very grateful to the Emirates Cricket Board, its chairman, HH Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, and the government of the UAE for their offer of wholehearted support to host the Pepsi IPL for this period.”

The Indian Government has been unable to provide assurances to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that the required security for the IPL can be employed while the elections are ongoing.

The final day of the elections is May 12, after which the tournament will return to India.

“From Tuesday 13th May (once polling has concluded in all states), the remaining league matches plus the play-offs will be played in India,” the statement added.

“There will be no matches scheduled on the counting day of Friday 16th May. BCCI will take the advice of the authorities if any further restrictions are required around the counting day.”

Bangladesh, which will stage the upcoming World Twenty20, has been pencilled in to take over hosting duties from May 1-12.

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson welcomed the decision of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to stage Indian Premier League (IPL) 2014 matches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“The BCCI’s decision to stage the first part of the IPL 2014 season in the UAE is great news for the people of the UAE and the region. It will complete a remarkable season of cricket in the UAE, which has already seen the successful staging of the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2013 and the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2014.

“This news comes on the back of the on-field success of the UAE national team which has qualified for both the ICC World Twenty20 2014 in Bangladesh and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in Australia and New Zealand and has the potential to propel cricket’s profile to new heights in the country.”