NL Corresspondent
The annual one-day mini auctions have produced some of the most costly deals The Indian Premier League (IPL) auction will be taking place in Dubai on December 19, reported ESPNCricinfo on Thursday. It would be the first-ever instance of an auction taking place overseas.
The event will take place on the same day as the second ODI of India's tour of South Africa, which is set for December 19 at Gqeberha. The ten IPL clubs have until November 15 to submit their list of retained and released players, after which the auction pool will be finalised in early December.
Each team will receive INR 100 crore (roughly US$12.02 million) to create their roster for the 2024 season, an INR 5 crore increase over last season's purse of INR 95 crore. The amount that each team must spend on auction day is determined by the value of the players they release, as well as their unspent purses from the 2023 auction.
The Punjab Kings currently have the biggest purse — INR 12.20 crore (US$1.47 million), while the Mumbai Indians have the least – INR 0.05 crore (US$0.006 million). Sunrisers Hyderabad have INR 6.55 crore (US$0.79 million); Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals both have INR 4.45 crore (US$ 0.54 million); Lucknow Super Giants have INR 3.55 crore (US$ 0.43 million); Rajasthan Royals have INR 3.35 crore (US$0.40 million); Kolkata Knight Riders have INR 1.65 crore (US$ 0.2 million); and defending champions Chennai Super Kings have INR 1.5 crore (US$0.2 million). Despite being merely a one-day event, as opposed to the two-day mega auction held every four years, mini-auctions have produced some of the most costly deals, particularly in the category of overseas players. Sam Curran became the most expensive player in IPL history when he was purchased by Punjab for INR 18.5 crore in December last year, ahead of the 2023 season.
Several renowned overseas players are expected to participate in the forthcoming auction, including Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc, who recently stated that he will “definitely” return to the IPL after an eight-year absence. Pat Cummins, who missed the IPL last year, is also expected to put his name up for auction. Travis Head, Chris Woakes, Alex Hales, Sam Billings, and Gerald Coetzee are among the other prominent players franchises anticipate to see at the auction.
