The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 mini-auction will take place in late December. In an exciting update, the purse amount for each franchise has been raised significantly to ₹100 crore.

The exact date and venue for the auction will be decided after the conclusion of the World Cup 2023, with potential host cities being Mumbai, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Kochi, and Kolkata.

One notable change in this year’s auction is that there will be no restrictions on the number of player retentions by the teams. The auction budget has also been increased from the previous season’s ₹95 crore mark.

A BCCI official stated, “The focus is now on the World Cup, and once all the details are taken care of, we will move towards IPL. We will decide the date after the World Cup, most likely in the third or fourth week of December. However, it will only be discussed at the IPL GC meeting later on.”

The substantial purse increase is expected to fuel another bidding frenzy, similar to the high-profile signings witnessed in the previous season. Star players like Sam Curran, Cameron Green, Ben Stokes, Nicholas Pooran, and Harry Brook had all fetched prices above ₹15 crore in the last auction.

Franchises are already preparing for the upcoming auction and season. Teams like Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants have made changes to their coaching staff, while Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Rajasthan Royals are reportedly in search of new coaches.

Last year’s IPL 2023 Auction, held in Kochi on December 23, faced logistical challenges due to its proximity to Christmas, leading to difficulties in booking hotels and necessitating some participants like Ricky Ponting to join virtually. However, the BCCI has assured that such issues will be avoided this year, with plans in place for all staff and officials to be present on-site.

“We will ensure it does not fall on Christmas Eve. We will try to find a comfortable date for everyone,” added the official.