According to the latest development, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly set to host the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While the governing body for cricket in India is yet to announce the decision formally, the source associated with the matter have revealed that the IPL 2025 mega auction is likely to go down on November 24 and 25 in the Middle Eastern country.
Notably, after BCCI announced the rules for player retention ahead of the IPL 2025 season, all the 10 franchises were given the deadline of 5 PM on October 31, 2024, to announce the names of the players to retain. There have been a lot of rumours surrounding some big players getting retained by their respective franchises, including Rohit Sharma (MI), Jasprit Bumrah (MI), Hardik Pandya (MI), Pat Cummins (SRH), and Heinrich Klaasen (SRH) being the prominent ones.
We are looking at Riyadh for the mega auction: BCCI source reveal latest development
In a report from Hindustan Times, the source privy to the latest developments have revealed that BCCI are all set on hosting the IPL 2025 mega auction in Saudi Arabia, and said, “Yes, we are looking at Riyadh for the mega auction. The auction will be a two-day affair this time around. A team has gone to Riyadh to do the proper verification and all. We are looking at hotels, and once the booking is done, we will make the formal announcement.”
“We also have a few backup options in mind, such as Abu Dhabi,” the source further added on the potential venue for the IPL 2025 mega auction. Moreover, if the mega auction does take place on November 24 and 25 in South Arabia, it will also coincide with the first BGT Test match between India and Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth, although the time difference could lead to both events not converging on each other.