The much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction for Season 18 is expected to take place in November, most likely during the third or fourth weekend of the month. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has indicated to IPL franchises about this possibility and that the auction will almost certainly be held overseas.
Sources within the IPL have revealed to Cricbuzz that, similar to last year, the venue will likely be in the Middle East. Last year's auction took place in Dubai, and it wouldn't be surprising if it were held in another Gulf city, Doha or Abu Dhabi for instance. Saudi Arabia, which has been making heavy investments in sports of late, including cricket, is also reportedly interested in hosting the auction. There is no clarity on the venue at this stage.
The news has sparked a cautious reaction from IPL franchises, as they are yet to receive the retention rules ahead of the mega auction. The BCCI has informed them of a potential delay in the announcement of these rules, leaving some franchise officials concerned about whether they will have enough time to adequately prepare for the auction.
The retention rules, as recently reported by Cricbuzz, may be announced this month end which means the teams will have two months to do the plan for the auction. The deadline for the teams to announce their retentions is expected to be around November 15.
The BCCI and IPL authorities have always wanted to hold the auction overseas, though they only succeeded in doing so last year (December 2023). At different stages in previous seasons, there were plans to host the auction in London while Istanbul was also considered as a potential venue.
Meanwhile, it is understood that coaches who worked under Rahul Dravid with the Indian team are likely to find positions with various IPL franchises. Vikram Rathour, India's former batting coach, may join Dravid at Rajasthan Royals, replacing Trevor Penney, who could be assigned to the Royals' CPL team, Barbados Royals. Paras Mhambrey, India's former bowling coach under Dravid, is also expected to join a franchise although nothing seems to have been finalized so far.
It is learnt that these former coaches have declined commentary offers, expressing their preference for coaching roles. Additionally, Munaf Patel, former India pacer and 2011 World Cup winner, is expected to take up an IPL coaching assignment this season.