Riyadh Chosen For IPL 2025 Mega Auction: Report
BCCI prepares for the Riyadh, Saudi Arabia auction as franchises finalise player lists after retention deadline
The highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction is set to take place on November 24 and 25 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, according to reports.
While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not yet officially confirmed the auction's location or dates, sources familiar with the situation suggest that final preparations are underway, with a statement expected soon.
However, there are some complications as the auction coincides with India’s first Test match against Australia in Perth, which is scheduled for 22 to 26 November.
Disney Star, the broadcaster for both the IPL and the India-Australia Test series aims to avoid any direct overlap between the two events. Fortunately, due to the time difference with Australia, if the auction occurs in the afternoon (IST), it should not clash with match broadcasts.
As several franchises have already disclosed their player retentions, attention will be drawn to five-star players expected to spark intense bidding wars.
Teams are strategising to acquire top talent within their budgets, with Rishabh Pant’s explosive wicketkeeping-batsman role, Shreyas Iyer’s leadership potential and KL Rahul’s consistent batting being particularly appealing in the high-stakes IPL environment.
Reports indicate that BCCI officials have already made preliminary visits to Saudi Arabia to evaluate potential venues for the auction.
A second delegation is scheduled to travel to the Gulf nation on Monday to finalise arrangements. While Jeddah was initially considered, Riyadh has emerged as the most likely city to host the two-day auction.
Other international locations such as Dubai, Singapore and even Vienna were explored but Saudi Arabia appears to be the chosen venue.
Given this move outside of India, IPL franchises are urging the BCCI to confirm the venue and dates as soon as possible to facilitate travel and logistical preparations.
With the retention deadline of 31 October already passed, teams are now focused on finalising their player lists ahead of the eagerly awaited auction.
