Image courtesy of: The Hindu

“They have to look for an alternate venue [during the elections]”

India’s home minister, Sushil Kumar Shinde, has told the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that the government will not be able to assign security units to the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to the federal elections.

The news is a major blow to the BCCI as it now means that the IPL is highly likely to be held in South Africa, which was the backup location chosen by the board.

“Due to the general elections it would not be possible to spare the kind of force which is required,” a home ministry spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo. “They have to look for an alternate venue [during the elections].”

However, before preparations are made to move the tournament to South Africa, the BCCI will wait until the Election Commission releases the dates for the federal elections.

“We want to host as many matches as possible in India as it is a domestic tournament,” BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said. “So once the elections dates are announced we can finalise where and when to host the tournament.”

A decision on where the tournament will be held is likely to be taken during the IPL Governing Council meeting on February 28.