IPL 2025 Mega Auction: Big Names, Bigger Bids – What’s at stake

New Delhi(The Uttam Hindu): The IPL 2025 mega auction is scheduled for November 24 and 25, 2024, as teams gear up to rebuild their squads for the upcoming season. This two-day event, which occurs once every three years, will feature prominent players like Rishabh Pant, Mitchell Starc, KL Rahul, and Jos Buttler. A total of 577 players, including 367 Indians and 210 overseas, will be up for grabs. Originally, 574 players had registered, but additions were made to include Jofra Archer, Saurabh Netravalkar, and Hardik Tamore.

This year, the auction will be held in Saudi Arabia, at the Abady Al Johar Arena in Jeddah, which has a seating capacity of 15,000. The bidding will commence at 3:30 PM IST on both days. All 10 IPL franchises will participate, and each team is required to have at least 18 players on their roster by the end of the auction. Franchises will be working within a budget of Rs 120 crore, although most teams have less available due to the retention phase. Punjab Kings has the highest budget, Rs 110.5 crore, while Rajasthan Royals has the lowest at Rs 41 crore.

A key feature of the auction is the Right to Match (RTM) rule, allowing former franchises to reclaim a player by matching the final bid. However, the process has a twist this year: if a team uses the RTM, the opposing team will get one last chance to outbid them. For instance, if KL Rahul is sold for Rs 15 crore by Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), his former team, uses their RTM, PBKS can counter with a final bid. LSG can only secure Rahul by matching that counter bid, or the RTM card won't apply.

The IPL 2025 mega auction will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network, with digital streaming available on JioCinema's app and website.