IPL Auction to Feature Two Sets of Marquee Players

Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises have been informed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that the upcoming players' auction will feature two sets of marquee players. The auction is scheduled to take place on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

According to reports from Cricbuzz, the BCCI has shared details with franchises, explaining that the marquee list will consist of two sets, each featuring 8-9 elite players. While having two elite lists is not unusual for mega auctions, the previous major auction in 2022 featured only one set. However, auctions held in 2018 and 2014 followed a similar format with two sets of marquee players.

The marquee players list includes prominent names such as Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mitchell Starc, and Jos Buttler. Ben Stokes, a potential marquee player, has opted out of this year’s auction, which will be held at the Abadi Al Johar Arena in Jeddah, also known as Benchmark Arena.

Each marquee player has set a base price of INR 2 crore. By the end of the bidding for the first two sets, it is expected that 30-50% of the total available auction purse will be utilized. Franchises are anticipated to spend an average of INR 20-25 crore on securing at least two marquee players each. The combined expenditure on marquee players is expected to range between INR 200-250 crore out of the total auction purse of INR 641.5 crore. Franchises have already spent INR 558.5 crore on player retentions out of the permissible INR 1200 crore.

Punjab Kings to Lead with Highest Auction Purse

The two-day auction proceedings are expected to start with intense bidding for players in the marquee sets, most of whom are likely to find buyers. Punjab Kings, with the highest remaining purse of INR 110.5 crore, is positioned to target the top talents.

The final order of bidding and the detailed marquee players list will be released by the BCCI in the coming days. Additionally, the BCCI has circulated a register featuring 1,574 players, which includes 1,165 Indian players and 409 overseas players. The list comprises 320 capped players, 1,224 uncapped players, and 30 players from associate nations. A total of 46 players have been retained by franchises ahead of the auction.

Player Distribution and Auction Guidelines

The BCCI has also asked franchises to suggest additional names for inclusion in the final auction list. Franchises have until November 12 to submit their preferences. With a maximum of 25 players allowed per franchise, the auction is expected to feature deals for up to 204 players, including a maximum of 70 overseas players.

The breakdown of players in the auction register is as follows:

- Capped Indian Players: 48  
- Capped International Players: 272  
- Associate Players: 30  
- Uncapped Indian Players (part of last IPL season): 152  
- Uncapped International Players (part of last IPL season): 3  
- Uncapped Indian Players: 965  
- Uncapped International Players: 104  

The IPL auction promises to be an exciting event as franchises vie to secure top talent for the upcoming season.