Will India LPG Crisis Hit IPL 2026? BCCI Breaks Silence: "Everything Is Alright"
With days remaining for the start of IPL 2026, concerns have been raised over the logistical and infrastructural challenges amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran tensions.
The ongoing LPG crisis in India is unlikely to affect the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), according to a report. The US-Israel attacks on Iran and Tehran's retaliation have shut the Strait of Hormuz, a key sea route through which India gets the majority of its LPG imports from West Asian countries, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Concerns have been raised over the logistical and infrastructural challenges if tension escalates in the region. According to a report in India Today, while the IPL governing council is monitoring the situation closely, it has not taken any preemptive decisions.
"We cannot preempt the situation. We have to wait and watch. Everyone we have spoken to says things are under control. Hotels are saying the same, so we have to go by that for now," the official was quoted as saying in the report.
The report added that while the situation is under control at the moment, the organizers have a contingency plan in place to tackle the challenges.
"As of now, everything is alright. We will keep an eye on the situation. Why should we preempt and decide something now?" he said.
However, the organizers see no immediate reasons to make changes to the schedule or arrangements.
"We will definitely act as per the situation. If the situation demands that we do something, we will take the necessary steps," the official added.
Aside from LPG concerns, travel logistics also remain a challenge, as seen during the recently concluded Men's T20 World Cup won by India. Zimbabwe, West Indies and South Africa were unable to leave immediately for home due to the conflict disrupting their flight routes.
With their major layover destination in Dubai not available due to the conflict, Zimbabwe had to leave in three batches and reached home via Addis Ababa via Ethiopian Airlines. South Africa and West Indies, meanwhile, were stuck in Kolkata before a charter flight was arranged to get them home via Johannesburg.
Though Australia and New Zealand airspaces are unaffected, it remains to be seen if all foreign players, coaches and broadcasters from the West Indies, South Africa and England will come to India for IPL 2026 considering the current situation and that most of them usually come via a stopover in Dubai.
(With PTI Inputs)