Indian Premier League cricket may get delayed

The much awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) may get delayed because it clashes with the upcoming general elections.

The India home minister, P Chidambaram, said that he wanted to avoid a clash with the elections because of safety fears.

In an interview with news channel CNN-IBN, Chidambaram said, “I have asked the home secretary to get in touch with the IPL organisers.”

“Since, the election dates are unalterable, I have asked to find out if the dates of the Indian Premier League (IPL) can be rescheduled. I would be happy if the tournament starts when the bulk of the polls is over.”

The IPL tournament is scheduled to be held from 10th April to 24th May at nine venues across India.

A meeting between the government and the IPL organisers is expected to be held over the next few days.

Last month, the IPL suffered a loss with Big TV pulling out of a sponsorship deal over a row with broadcaster Sony Entertainment Television Asia.

Extracts from BBC News