Reports: IPL 2022 mega auction to get underway on February 12 and 13

The mega auction ahead of IPL 2022 is all set to take place on February 12 and 13 in Bangalore as per the latest reports. It has also been reported that BCCI has called all the franchises on December 23 to confirm the dates of the mega auction. While an official communication is yet to be made from BCCI’s end, it can be stated that the IPL auction will most likely get underway on the above-mentioned dates.

The franchise will be gearing up to build up a sturdy squad ahead of the fresh season as they could only retain a maximum of four players. While most of the franchises have gone on to retain their best lot, they would be keen on bettering it up by roping in some of the hot picks in the auction.

In the same light, BCCI has also decided to call up a meeting with all the franchise owners to discuss alternate plans amid COVID-19 concerns. It is quite clear that the Indian board is not in a mood to host IPL 2022 outside India but the fear around the Omicron COVID-19 variant might put a break on some of their plans.

BCCI to have a meeting with IPL franchise owners to discuss alternate plans amid Omicron scare

“The meeting will be mainly introductory in nature with the BCCI on-boarding the owners of the two new teams – Lucknow and Ahmedabad. They are also exploring the idea of holding the whole tournament just in Mumbai and Pune or in the Gujarat cities of Ahmedabad, Baroda, and Rajkot if the Covid/Omicron situation worsens. The owners will be apprised of the alternatives as well as things to look forward to in the mega auction,” said various franchise owners earlier as quoted by Cricbuzz.

The new franchises namely Ahmedabad and Lucknow would be building their squads from scratch but they have been allowed to pick three players outside the mega auction to have their fair chances. There have been reports around a lot of players shaking hands with new owners but the official confirmation from BCCI’s end is still awaited.