The Indian Premier League (IPL) teams are getting ready for the auction for the 2025 season. According to a report from Cricbuzz, this major event is expected to happen in November 2024. The auction may be held outside India, with places like Dubai, Doha, or Abu Dhabi being considered as possible venues.
Saudi Arabia, a country that has been getting more involved in sports, including cricket, has also shown interest in hosting the event. However, the final decision on the location has not yet been made.
Last Year’s Auction Held Abroad
In 2023, the IPL auction was held successfully in Dubai. This was the first time the auction took place outside of India. The BCCI had been considering holding the auction abroad for some time, and there were earlier talks about hosting it in places like London and Istanbul, but those plans didn’t happen.
As the auction date gets closer, the IPL teams are eagerly waiting for the retention rules to be announced. The BCCI has informed the teams that there might be a delay in releasing these rules, causing concern among franchises about having enough time to prepare. It was earlier mentioned that these guidelines could be shared by the end of September, giving teams around two months to plan their strategies.
Retention Deadline and Possible Rule Changes
The retention deadline is expected to be around November 15. Since this will be a mega auction, there could be significant changes to the policies, including a potential return of the rule that allows retired players, who have not played international cricket for over five years, to be considered as uncapped.
2011 World Cup Winner Munaf Patel to Coach IPL Team?
The Cricbuzz report also mentioned that Munaf Patel, a former Indian fast bowler and part of the 2011 World Cup-winning team, is set to take on a coaching role in the IPL. However, it’s still not clear which team he will coach.
In recent times, several former coaches have returned to the IPL. Rahul Dravid, for example, was appointed as the head coach of Rajasthan Royals earlier this month. He had previously coached the team from 2013 to 2015 before joining the Indian national team setup, where he led them to win the T20 World Cup in June 2024.
On Wednesday, Punjab Kings also announced Ricky Ponting as their new head coach. Ponting was previously the coach of Delhi Capitals, a position he held for seven years until the 2024 season.
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