Is IPL 2024 being shifted to UAE due to Lok Sabha elections? Fact Check

Posted by: Arun Nag March 21, 2024

A message showing the picture of M.S. Dhoni is going viral with a claim that the cricket event Indian Premier League (IPL) is being shifted to United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The claim read: “IPL is set to be shifted to the UAE due to elections, so Dhoni will be playing in IPL 2025 as well, as he said his last match will be in Chepauk (sic).”

The message can be seen on Twitter here and here.

The BCCI held the IPL 2009 second season outside India due to general elections and the IPL 2020 was shifted to UAE due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Otherwise, schedule changes were opted for in 2019 due to elections. It may be recalled that former Indian Cricket captain M.S. Dhoni had announced his retirement from test cricket in 2014 but remained active in IPL amid expectations that 2024 or 2025 IPL would be his last.

FACT CHECK

When the Digiteye India tean checked for authentic information on possible venue shift from India to UAE this year, we found news reports quoting Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah who had denied the rumour and clarified that the entire tournament will be held in India. See the report in Cricbuzz.

Since the IPL Schedule for 2024 released the fixtures for 21 matches, some reports speculated that rest of the schedule may be shifted overseas due to the Lok Sabha elections but BCCI, the owner of IPL series, ruled out the possibility of venue shift and clarified that the rest of the schedule would be released soon.

Even IPL chairman Arun Dhumal told the news agency PTI the same. “The IPL is not being shifted anywhere. We will soon announce the remaining fixture,” he told PTI. hence the claim that the IPL 2024 venue is being shifted outside India is false.

Claim: IPL 2024 will be shifted to UAE due to upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Conclusion: False, both BCCI Secretary and IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal denied the speculation and clarified that the entire IPL 2024 will be held in India.

Rating: Misleading —

About Arun Nag

Arun is with Digiteye India since the beginning as the main source for re-writing copies and re-checking the facts and images. He writes on general and tech issues. He can be reached at arunnag@digiteye.in

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