IPL not moving from India: Modi

NEW DELHI: Indian Premier League commissioner Lalith Modi on Friday rubbished reports that the Twenty20 extravaganza will move out of the country and insisted that the IPL matches would be held only in India.

However, he said, the schedule of a few matches would be revised due to elections in India and a fresh schedule would soon be released.

Talking with media in Mumbai, Lalith Modi said that 14 cities of India have been selected as the IPL venues and the final schedule would be released next week after reviewing the security arrangements.

He said that the IPL matches would not be played on dates of ballot-counting in India.

The IPL commissioner will hold a meeting at the BCCI headquarters later in the day, after six of the eight host states voiced concerns that they could not guarantee security during the matches.

The revised schedule carries the same inaugural (April 10) and closing dates (May 24). Dates of five games have, however, been changed, to ensure that host cities are not allotted matches two days before and after polling days.

The home ministry had earlier said it would decide on the fate of the tournament only after the states responded on whether they would be able to conduct the matches without asking for central forces.

The terror attack on the Sri Lankan team on Tuesday in Lahore has also compounded the problems for the IPL organisers, who now expect pullouts by many of the foreign players.

Federation of International Cricketers Association chief executive Tim May has already sought a wider role in assessing the security for players during the IPL.