Arun Dhumal, the head of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council, has officially announced that there will be a mega auction before the 2025 season.
There have been discussions about the possibility of the IPL eliminating the mega auction and instead adopting a system of player transfers, similar to what is seen in football.
Dhumal emphasized that this approach could provide an advantage to young cricketers, especially those under 19, who may not yet possess the skills to navigate negotiations with franchises. He pointed out the significant benefits that Afghan players have reaped from auctions and clarified that there are no immediate plans to abandon this system.
“We will have the mega auction for sure, where you get to choose three-four players and then you have a new team. That makes it more interesting and that format will continue. Hopefully, the mega auction will be as big and as good as we have had earlier given newer talents coming in not from India and other countries. Teams like Afghanistan have also benefitted as they could showcase their talent,” Dhumal said while talking to Sportstar.
Ishan Kishan skipping the entire Ranji Trophy and Shreyas Iyer choosing not to participate in Mumbai’s Quarterfinal match have stirred up some talk. As a result, BCCI excluded them from the annual central contract, but the discussion didn’t stop there. Reports suggested that Kishan gave priority to the upcoming IPL season over red-ball cricket, practicing in Baroda while being absent from his Ranji team. Meanwhile, Iyer, after missing a Ranji fixture due to back pain, was seen attending the KKR camp.
“The IPL is an integral part of the BCCI and the BCCI is supreme. Playing for the country has to be the top priority for every player and we are very clear about that. Howsoever, money you may make, how glamourous you may become as a part of a franchise, real respect comes to you when you play for the country,” Dhumal said.
The BCCI has unveiled the schedule for the first 21 matches of IPL 2024, set to take place between March 22 and April 7. The remaining fixture details will be disclosed once the dates for the 2024 General Elections are officially announced. There’s a notable push to conclude the tournament before May 25, aligning with the commencement of the T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies.
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