Voting on 9th April created a problem… How will the match be held in Guwahati on 7th and 10th April, will the schedule of IPL change?

New Delhi: Now only a few days are left for the start of the 19th season of IPL. But even before the start of the tournament, big challenges have arisen regarding the schedule. The Board of Control for Cricket in India had already released a partial schedule (20 matches) till April 12 in view of the assembly elections. But after the announcement of the dates of Assam Assembly elections by the Election Commission on Sunday, ‘clouds of crisis’ have started looming over the matches to be held in Guwahati.

According to the Election Commission, voting for 126 assembly seats of Assam is to be held in a single phase on April 9 (Thursday). At the same time, if we look at the ongoing schedule of IPL, Baraspara Stadium in Guwahati is going to host three big matches as the second home ground of Rajasthan Royals (RR).

30 March: Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings

7 April: Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians

10 April: Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

The problem is regarding the dates of 7th and 10th April. As a rule, election campaigning stops 48 hours before voting and the security cordon is tightened. Having a match of a big team like Mumbai Indians just two days before voting on 7th April and then having a match of RCB on 10th April (the very next day of voting) can prove to be a headache for the security agencies.

Double challenge before the police
The geographical location of Assam and its proximity to the international border (Bangladesh) is very sensitive from security point of view. During elections, the priority of the police administration is to protect EVMs, stop suspicious activities and deploy forces at polling stations. In such a situation, it will not be easy to handle the crowd of thousands inside and outside the stadium and provide 24-hour security to the players and VIP movement. Just before and after the voting, the deployment of police force away from election duty for the security of a cricket match can become a big risk.

Will the schedule change?
There is talk that BCCI may have to revise its initial schedule again. However, there is also a possibility that BCCI may have consulted with the state government before releasing the schedule. If the local administration gives the green signal, only then these matches will be able to take place on time. Otherwise, the only option left would be to shift the Guwahati matches to some other venue or postpone the dates till after the elections. The complete schedule of IPL is going to come in the next few days, which will make it clear whether the ‘Pink Army’ of Rajasthan Royals will be able to entertain the fans in their second home or the noise of elections will overshadow the buzz of cricket.