The auction for the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to take place in February next year. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has informed the franchises that the mega-auction will take place in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.
It also has to be noted that Team India will be locking horns with West Indies on the auction day. India and West Indies are slated to face each other in an ODI encounter on February 12 in Kolkata.
Despite the clash, the BCCI official said that auction dates are final.
“It has been clarified to us that the match and auction are two different things and both will go ahead,” a franchise official was quoted as saying to Cricbuzz.
Many big names have been released by the already existing eight teams ahead of the auction, and that’s why franchises might start a bidding war to acquire their services during the mega-event.
But the same could happen for some Indian domestic players as well, especially for the ones who have delivered eye-catching performances in the last couple of seasons of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy.
The complete list of players for the auction is expected to be finalised by mid-January, after the two new franchises – Ahmedabad and Lucknow – make their picks of up to three players from the released list.
While the final date for the new teams to make their picks is December 25, it is now all but certain that this deadline will be deferred due to the festive season.
