Italian cricketer Thomas Jack Draca has officially entered his name for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction, set to take place in Jeddah on November 24 and 25. This unique addition from Italy adds a distinctive international flavour to the roster, which will feature a massive lineup of 1574 players.

Among these, 320 are capped players, while 1224 are uncapped, and 30 are from Associate Nations, including Draca.

Draca’s entry into the IPL auction lineup has created intrigue, especially considering that cricket is still developing in a country where football dominates. Initially, there was speculation that Italy's sole IPL registrant might be Joe Burns, the former Australian cricketer who recently relocated to Italy.

However, Sportstar confirmed that the 24-year-old right-arm medium pacer Draca is indeed the Italian representative, securing the 325th slot in the auction list, just ahead of Canada’s Harsh Thaker.

Draca debuted for Italy in T20Is against Luxembourg on June 9 of this year, taking eight wickets across his four matches. Though he is new to the IPL auction scene, he has experience in high-profile T20 leagues, including playing for the MI Emirates in the UAE’s ILT20 and the Brampton Wolves in Canada. His growing profile signals Italy’s gradual, though modest, progress in ICC-affiliated tournaments as cricket takes its first steps in the football-dominant nation.

With a mix of local and international experience, Draca’s inclusion could be a wildcard in the auction. His skill set and adaptability to different T20 leagues may appeal to franchises looking to bring fresh talent into their bowling departments.

Auction in Saudi Arabia

The high-profile auction will be held in the Saudi Arabian capital city of Riyadh in the last week of this month, sources in the BCCI told PTI on Monday.

"The IPL auctions will be held in Riyadh and it has been notified to the franchises. The likely dates are November 24 and 25," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

This year's auction is a mega one with high-profile India stars like Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Arshdeep Singh going to go under the hammer.

The 10 franchises will collectively have around ₹641.5 crore to spend for 204 slots that are available. Out of those 204 slots, 70 are earmarked for overseas players.

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