IPL auction (Source: @ImTanujSingh/X)
The much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) auction will be held in Abu Dhabi on December 16. Sources confirmed Sportstar on Thursday that the decision has been made by IPL governing body.
Saudi Arabia hosted the IPL auction last time, and Jeddah and Dubai had the privilege of holding the mega event prior to that. However, unlike last year, this will be a mini auction, with 10 teams set to raise their paddle to improve their squad in an one-day event.
Meanwhile, the retention and release list will be confirmed by November 15.
"There had been speculation in recent weeks that the mini-auction could return to India, but BCCI officials indicated that logistical considerations prompted the decision to stage it overseas for the third straight time," the Sportstar report read.
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What happened in IPL auction last time?
Last year, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pulled off sensational auction sessions over the course of two days, with the likes of Phil Salt, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Krunal Pandya and Josh Hazlewood making the headlines among many. They yielded benefit from there, silencing the critics by lifting the elusive IPL trophy after prolonged 17 years.
Needless to say, they will be the ones who would prefer to keep the core, while the rest might go wild in order to form their unit as title contenders.
On the other hand, the then-defending champions KKR's gamble of giving Venkatesh Iyer a lucrative 23.75-crore contract went in vain. In other news, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan were rewarded with hefty checks.
Talking about IPL owners, Kavya Maran, Kiran Kumar Grandhi, Venky Mysore, and Akash Ambani are the most popular names who often get all the limelight in the IPL auction. Even Bollywood sensation Preity Zinta takes all the attention with her presence, and they will all gather in one place to make the auction look more competitive and fierce.
