Auction Shifted from Riyadh to Jeddah
The BCCI finalized Jeddah’s Abady Al Johar Arena as the new venue for the IPL 2025 auction, scheduled for November 24-25.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction will be held in Jeddah on November 24 and 25, confirmed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Originally set to take place in Riyadh, the auction will now be hosted at the Abady Al Johar Arena, also known as Benchmark Arena, due to a last-minute change.
According to sources, “The venue for the auction will be Abady Al Johar Arena (also known as Benchmark Arena), and the accommodation will be at the Hotel Shangri-La, which is 10 minutes from the auction venue. Our operations team will be in touch for the visa and logistics requirements,” an official email stated.
The BCCI also revealed that 1,574 players registered for the event. This list includes 320 capped players, 1,224 uncapped players, and 30 players from Associate Nations. Interestingly, the IPL 2025 auction will coincide with the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with the first Test match between India and Australia beginning in Perth on November 22.
Disney Star, the broadcaster for both the IPL and the India-Australia Test series, expressed concerns about scheduling conflicts. Fortunately, with the time difference, an afternoon auction (IST) should not overlap with match broadcasts.
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The BCCI had considered other locations, including Dubai, Singapore, and Vienna, before choosing Saudi Arabia. BCCI delegations recently visited potential sites in Saudi Arabia to evaluate logistics and accommodation.
Nevertheless, franchises are preparing for competitive bidding, eyeing key players like Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Arshdeep Singh, and Ishan Kishan. With many franchises announcing their retentions, these stars are expected to be at the center of fierce bidding wars, as teams strategize to secure top talent for the 2025 season.
Last Updated on November 6, 2024