The much-anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) mega-auction is most likely to take place in the later half of November, or the third week of December and is once again set to be an overseas affair. The auction could take place in the UAE like last year, according to sources.
The mini-auction last year was held in Dubai, and if sources are to be believed, there is every possibility that the upcoming auction could be hosted in one of the Gulf cities, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Doha or Dubai. While there is no clarity on the venue yet, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has unofficially indicated to the IPL franchises about a couple of potential windows when the auction could be held.
The auction could either take place in the second or third week of November or may be stretched to the later half of December. Given the fact that BCCI secretary Jay Shah will assume office as ICC chairman on December 1, it is highly likely auction may be held in November itself.
Meanwhile, the BCCI is yet to reveal the retention rules ahead of the mega auction, which has left some of the IPL franchises concerned about whether they will have adequate room to prepare. The retention rules are likely to be revealed by the cricket board by this month’s end, which could potentially leave the franchises with a couple of months’ time to prepare for the auction.
The BCCI had earlier assured the IPL franchises to share the retention rules by the second week of August in the meeting held with franchise owners in July. In the last mega auction held in 2022, the IPL teams were permitted to retain up to four players. With the end of the three-year cycle approaching, there are differing opinions among franchises about the optimal number of retained players. While some teams argue for a larger retention cap, possibly up to eight players, others are comfortable with the existing limit of four or five.
Like the 2022 auction in February and the 2023 and 2024 auctions in December, the upcoming IPL mega auction is in all likelihood going to be a two-day affair.
New NCA to be unveiled on September 28
Meanwhile, The BCCI announced that the new National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru will be inaugurated on September 28. Board secretary Jay Shah has reportedly communicated with all state cricket associations with invitations through an email recently.
In his email, Shah wrote, “I hope this message finds you well. It is our pleasure to extend an invitation to you for the much-anticipated. inauguration of the New National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, India, on September 28.”
“The new NCA will feature three world-class playing grounds, 45 practice pitches, indoor cricket pitches, Olympic size swimming pool and state-of-the-art training, recovery, and sports science facilities. This initiative will help our nation’s current and future cricketers develop their skills in the best possible environment!”
“Your support in this ground-breaking project has been most valuable, and we sincerely hope that you can spare some time from your busy schedule and grace us with your presence,” he added.
The inauguration of the state-of-the-art facility is scheduled to take place a day before BCCI’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), which will also be held in Bengaluru, on Sunday.