IPL 2025 auction likely to be held outside India in November

NEW DELHI: The Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction for Season 18 is anticipated to be held in November, likely during the third or fourth week, as indicated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to

IPL franchises

.
The auction is expected to take place in a foreign location, with the Middle East being a probable choice, similar to last year's event in Dubai.

Other potential venues include Doha, Abu Dhabi, and even Saudi Arabia, which has been investing heavily in sports, including cricket. However, the exact location remains uncertain at this point, sources within the IPL revealed to Cricbuzz.
IPL franchises have expressed some apprehension regarding the news, as they have not yet received the

retention rules

for the upcoming mega auction.

The BCCI has communicated a possible delay in announcing these rules, causing concern among franchise officials about having sufficient time to 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 consistently expressed their desire to conduct the auction overseas, although they only achieved this goal last year (December 2023). In previous seasons, there were considerations for hosting the auction in London and Istanbul.
In other news, coaches who previously worked under Rahul Dravid with the Indian team are expected to secure positions with various IPL franchises.
Vikram Rathour, India's former batting coach, may join Dravid at Rajasthan Royals, replacing Trevor Penney, who could be reassigned to the Royals' CPL team, Barbados Royals.
Paras Mhambrey, India's former bowling coach under Dravid, is also anticipated to join a franchise, although details have not been finalized.
These former coaches have reportedly turned down commentary offers, preferring coaching roles instead. Additionally, Munaf Patel, a former India pacer and 2011 World Cup winner, is expected to take on an IPL coaching position this season.