IPL Auction to Feature Two Marquee Player Sets in Saudi Arabia

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has informed Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises that this year’s player auction, scheduled for November 24-25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will include two sets of marquee players. Each set is expected to feature 8-9 high-profile players, with stars like Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Siraj, and Jos Buttler anticipated to make the elite lists. Notably, Ben Stokes will be absent from this year’s auction, as he has opted out.

The auction will be held at the Abady Al Johar Arena, also known as Benchmark Arena. With each marquee player setting a base price of INR 2 crore, franchises are expected to spend a significant portion of their auction budgets on these first sets. Analysts predict that these marquee players could absorb 30-50% of the total auction purse. Franchises like Punjab Kings, with the largest available balance of INR 110.5 crore, are positioned to acquire some of the top talents.

BCCI has provided franchises with a comprehensive register of 1,574 players, including 1,165 Indian players and 409 overseas players. The list includes 320 capped, 1,224 uncapped, and 30 players from Associate nations. IPL franchises have until November 12 to suggest additional names they would like included in the auction pool.