The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises are gearing up for the highly-anticipated auction for the 2025 season, and according to a report by Cricbuzz, the marquee event is expected to take place in November 2024. The report suggests that the auction is likely to be held overseas, potentially in the Middle East, with Dubai, Doha, or Abu Dhabi emerging as probable venues.

Saudi Arabia, a country making significant inroads into the world of sports, including cricket, has also expressed interest in hosting the auction. However, no final decision has been made regarding the venue.

Last year’s auction was successfully conducted in Dubai, marking the first time the IPL auction took place outside India. It is also reported that the BCCI long desired to host the event abroad, with earlier discussions revolving around London and Istanbul. However, these plans did not materialise in previous years.

With the auction dates drawing closer, IPL franchises are keenly awaiting the announcement of retention rules. The BCCI has informed teams of a possible delay in releasing the rules, sparking concern among the teams regarding adequate preparation time. It was earlier reported that the retention guidelines could be released by the end of September, giving teams around two months to plan their strategies.

The deadline for franchise retentions is expected to be around November 15. Given that this will be another mega auction, multiple changes could be made surrounding the policy, which could also include a return of a previous rule that deemed retired players with more than five years of gap in their last international match to be considered uncapped.

WC-Winning India star to coach IPL side?

The report from Cricbuzz further added that former Indian pacer and 2011 World Cup winner Munaf Patel is set to take on an IPL coaching role. However, it is yet to be ascertained which franchise he will take over.

Other former coaches who returned to working in the IPL include Rahul Dravid, who was appointed as the head coach of Rajasthan Royals earlier this month. Dravid worked with the Royals in the same capacity between 2013-2015 but left the side to join the Indian setup. He became the senior men's team's head coach in 2021, with his stint culminating in the side's T20 World Cup win in June this year.

On Wednesday, Punjab Kings also announced the appointment of Ricky Ponting as their head coach. Ponting was the coach of Delhi Capitals until the 2024 season – a position he held for seven years.

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