As the spot on the calendar reserved for the IPL 2025 auction approaches, the BCCI and IPL governing council continue to weigh up their options for which locations could serve as the host city. As per a Cricbuzz report, the latest contender joining the list is Singapore.

The IPL governing council are also reportedly scouting locations in Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh and Jeddah having been pitched earlier this month.

The IPL 2024 auction took place in Dubai, which is also a city under contention but reportedly not a preference for the GC. The idea of London as a potential host city was also discarded, following concerns regarding the colder weather in November when the auction is slated to be held.

Singapore acts as the latest consideration for a city, and has advantages in terms of being the closest location to the Indian subcontinent and a similarly significant Indian expatriate presence in the nation. Singapore will also provide the warmer climate that the IPL GC is seeking, and might be a strong contender for the logistical demands that the IPL auction imposes.

IPL retention deadline approaches

The 10 teams in the IPL have until the end of October to present their list of retentions ahead of the auction, which also serves as a deadline for players registering themselves in the auction.

With this year being a big auction, set to take two days to take place in its entirety, the concerns for the GC and the auction organisers will be logistical in terms of hosting not only ownership but also the various entourages that the teams will be expected to have present.

This is also a reason for the teams seeking clarity regarding the location sooner rather than later, as per the Cricbuzz report, as the stipulated date for the auction rapidly approaches. However, the teams have no information regarding the likelihood of where the auction is going to take place, according to the same report.

The IPL will also have to make accommodations for the broadcasting teams, with a large media presence certain to surround the high-profile auction as it sets the base for the upcoming cycle of the IPL in coming years.

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