The Indian Premier League (IPL) auction for the 12th edition, scheduled to be held in Jaipur in mid-December, has been given a prime-time television slot, according to a report in the Mumbai Mirror.
The auction usually starts in the morning and ends around 5 pm IST but that’s all will change this year with a 3 pm start, for what is going to be a one-day affair on December 18, 2018.
A communication has been sent to the IPL franchises that the auction will start in the afternoon and end by 9.30 pm, with Star Sports officials keen on attracting higher television viewership, according to the report.
The decision has been made keeping the television ratings and Australia vs India Test series in mind. The second Test of the four-match series is scheduled to start at 7.50 am IST on December 14 and the fifth day will end around 3 pm IST. Therefore, the match will go all the way on the broadcasting channel.
“It does not make sense to have the auction running parallel to the Test match which has potential to go down the wire and produce a thrilling finish,” the report quoted a Star Sports official as saying.
All the eight franchises have also been informed that the final list of players available for the next season will be circulated to them in the first week of December.
Cricket Australia (CA) and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have both reportedly informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that their players won’t be able to play in the IPL 2019 beyond May 1.
