Reports: BCCI to conduct IPL 2022 mega auction in December later this year

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would be busy preparing for the smooth conduct of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. The gala T20 tournament was abruptly suspended on May 4 with the COVID-19 virus wreaking havoc in the nation. Due to the same, the remaining matches, which will be played in September-October, have been shifted to the United Arab Emirates.

While the 2021 edition hasn’t been concluded yet, BCCI also have an eye on the next season. The marquee T20 league is set to undergo many changes for the 2022 event which will also include two franchises coming in the picture, making IPL a 10-team event. Notably, this won’t be the first time when more than eight teams will feature in the competition. The 2011 edition also featured 10 teams while nine teams contested in the following two seasons.

Bidding event to take place later this year

IPL again became an eight-side tournament in 2014 and has been the same since then. However, dynamics will change again and it would be interesting to see what the transition will result in. Notably, a mega auction is also set to take place ahead of the competition which would see teams going under major revamps.

Although any official announcement is yet to come, the Times of India reported that the bidding event will place in December later this year. The report further claimed that there would be changes in the player retention rule. Earlier, franchises were allowed to retain three players while there were two right-to-match RTM options. However, BCCI will allow each team to retain four players ahead of the bidding event for the next season.

It is also understood that the salary purse amount will increase from INR 85 crore to INR 90 crore, adding INR 50 crore to the total salary pool. It is compulsory for all teams to spend at least 75% of their allotted money. Also, franchises retaining players must deduct the specific amount from their purse before heading to the auction pool.

With the system changing so much, all franchises have some work to do ahead of the next season. The expansion of the tournament will also give opportunities to more players. Hence, cricketers aiming to bag IPL contracts should unleash their A-game in the coming time.