The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to hold the mega auction for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 overseas, with the United Arab Emirates emerging as the front-runner.
However, no decision has been made on the dates yet. The Board officials have unofficially told a few franchises that they are looking at two possible options – either in the second week of November or in the third week of December.
Since the event is set to be held over two days, the Board is also looking at logistical issues and the availability of all the relevant stakeholders. “It's either going to be around November 16-17 or sometime between December 15 and 20. The BCCI operations team is currently exploring the options,” a well-placed source told. Sportstar,
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After meeting the franchise owners in July, the Board had assured them of sending out the updated retention policy ahead of the auction by August second week. However, till now, there has not been any official communique from the Board, leaving the franchises concerned.
Sources in the BCCI, though, indicated that a formal communication, specifying the rules, could be sent out to the franchises by the end of the week or latest by early next week. And, now with the Board planning to once again hold the auction abroad, the franchises need to get their respective travel plans and logistical things in place.
While last year's auction was held in Dubai, this time too, the event is likely to stay in the Emirates – with Abu Dhabi also being considered – while Muscat and Doha are also being considered. “Nothing has been decided yet. The BCCI team is looking at several options and the franchises will be informed in due course of time about the venue,” the source said, adding that an official announcement could be made in a couple of weeks.