MUMBAI: The Indian Premiere League (IPL) cricket tournament is not going to be held in India now due to the upcoming elections and the state government’s inability to provide security for the matches.
The venues being mulled are either South Africa or London, which will be decided by the BCCI in the next couple of days. Reacting to the change in the venue, actress Preity Zinta, who is the owner of Kings XI Punjab team says, "Elections are the number one priority in this country. We want this tournament to happen too so this is a good decision as every fan will still get to see it at 4 pm and 8 pm. We will follow whatever the BCCI and IPL will ask us to do. Once I get more details, I will be able to provide a better picture."
On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals co-owner Shilpa Shetty says, "I am in London at the moment and the news that we received at the owners conference is disappointing not just for the franchisee’s but also all the Indian cricket fans, given the huge anticipation and excitement that exists for the IPL in India. However, if the choice is no tournament, or the tournament in another country, then we clearly prefer the latter. The locations and options presented are all viable, and we are working closely with the IPL, as they formulate a decision over the next 24 hours."
