New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) Indian Premier League (IPL) chief executive Sundar Raman Friday said that the Twenty20 tournament is going nowhere and statying in India, while the franchises are free to play abroad.

Raman dismissed media reports saying that the IPL commissioner Lalit Modi was mulling the hosting a second IPL abroad.

'This is the Indian Premier League and it will be played in India. But if the IPL franchises want to play matches abroad, then it is upto them. We did have host the last edition in South Africa, which was a blessing in disguise for us as the tournament was exposed to a new market, but the IPL would take place in India,' said Raman, on the sidelines of IPL's tie-up with Topps, global leader in sports and entertainment collectibles.

'We are happy to be back in India this year. People are filling the stadiums and there are no plans to have IPL abroad,' said Raman.

On the growing list of injured playes, Raman said that it would not jeopardise their prospect in next month's Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies.

'Injuries are part and parcel of any game and it's always a concern. Professional players have to face injuries but you cannot blame the first few days of IPL for their injuries. And we are talking about professional players who know their body well,' he added.