IPL starts in UAE on April 16, ends in India on June 1
The IPL will start on April 16 in the UAE and is likely to be held in three phases across three countries, ending in India on June 1. A detailed schedule of dates and venues is yet to be finalised but an IPL announcement said that the first 16 matches would be held in the UAE from April 16 followed by a set of matches between May 1 and 12 to be held in either Bangladesh or, the Indian Home Ministry permitting, in India.
The announcement brought to an end a long period of speculation over the final venue. The problem arose because the tournament dates coincided with the Indian elections, scheduled from April 7 to May 12, and brought security and related issues. At the end of the players' auction in Bangalore in February, senior IPL officials had stated that the primary objective was always to hold the maximum number of matches in India. But the Indian Home Ministry made it clear that it would not be possible to provide the required security for the tournament during the elections.
However, the BCCI presented the Indian government with an alternative plan in which the tournament would return to India in early May, by when seven of the nine polling dates would have passed. The board's statement said it had approached the federal Ministry of Home Affairs for permission to play IPL matches in India from May 1-12 in cities where the polling has concluded. "If it is not possible to play in India during this period, IPL matches will be held in Bangladesh," the statement said.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/indian-premier-league-2014/content/story/726797.html
