IPL 2025 mega auction to take place overseas in late November: Reports
According to Cricbuzz, the Indian Premier League 2025 mega auction will likely take place overseas in the third/fourth week of November. The report claims that the Board of Control for Cricket in India has told franchise owners that the much-awaited event will, in all likelihood, be held outside India.
The venue for the auction is expected to be in the Middle East. Doha, Abu Dhabi, and Saudi Arabia, who have reportedly shown interest in staging the auction, are probable destinations.
Saudi Arabia could be the frontrunners, given their recent increase in investment across sports. Interestingly, London and Istanbul were also considered as possible venues for the auction in past years.
Last year's auction was held at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, where Mallika Sagar became the first women auctioneer in IPL history. Mitchell Starc was the most expensive acquisition by IPL 2024 champions Kolkata Knight Riders.
There is still no clarity on retention rules ahead of the mega auction. As per the report, the rules are likely to be announced this month, and the deadline to announce the retentions could be around mid-November. It will be interesting to see the decision of IPL authorities on the number of retentions, which has been a focal point of discussion.
IPL franchises earlier called for two-year ban on overseas players withdrawing after getting purchased
Last month, IPL franchises recommended a two-year ban on overseas players, who withdraw from the cash-rich league after getting bought in the auction without legitimate cause. As per the franchises, there has been a detrimental impact on the teams' performance and strategy when an overseas player decides to withdraw from the competition.
Moreover, they also asked the IPL to make it mandatory for overseas players to enter the mega action. They believe players could register only for the mini-auctions to attract big bids.
Players like Adam Zampa, Jason Roy, David Willey, Harry Brook, and Mark Wood pulled out of IPL 2024 due to different reasons.