IPL Mega Auction: BCCI Unveils Two Marquee Player Lists
Ahead of the highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a significant change in the bidding process. The auction, scheduled for November 24-25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will feature two sets of marquee players, each comprising 8-9 individuals.
This move marks a departure from the previous mega-auction in 2022, which utilized only one marquee list. However, it aligns with the format employed in the 2018 and 2014 auctions.
The marquee players are expected to include top-tier talent such as Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, R Ashwin, Mitchell Starc, and Jos Buttler. Notably, Ben Stokes, who would have been a marquee player, has opted out of this year’s auction.
Each marquee player will have a base price of INR 2 crore, which could potentially exhaust 30-50% of the total auction purse. Franchises are expected to secure at least two prominent players each, with an average cost of INR 20-25 crore. This could amount to INR 200-250 crore from the total purse of Rs 641.5 crore.
It’s important to note that franchises have already allocated Rs 558.5 crore of their permitted INR 1200 crore during recent retentions. The auction’s trajectory will likely hinge on the bids placed for players in the first two sets, many of whom are expected to be sold.
Punjab Kings, holding the largest available purse at INR 110.5 crore, are well-positioned to acquire top players. The BCCI will soon announce the precise bidding order and the marquee list. They recently distributed a register of 1,574 names, including 1,165 Indian players and 409 overseas players. This roster comprises 320 capped, 1224 uncapped, and 30 Associate players. Additionally, franchises have retained a total of 46 players.
