The Board Of Control Of Cricket In India (BCCI) had originally planned to conduct a mega auction before IPL taking place in 2021. But unfortunately due to IPL 2020 getting delayed and with 2 full-fledged Indian Premier League seasons taking place in under 6 months the auction is expected to be postponed.
The BCCI along with all the franchises are managing overtime for IPL 2020 that will take place from next month in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The upcoming IPL season is all set to be the longest ever as it will be played September 19- November 10.
IPL 2021 mega auction postponed
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BCCI is trying their best to build a safe habitat for all players keeping their health in mind. All IPL matches this year will take place in a bio-secure bubble which will be first in the league’s history. As a result possibility of the mega auction looks very bleak as BCCI and all the franchises will be devoting their time for two IPL season in a short period.
Meanwhile, according to a report by The Times of India, the BCCI is planning to let go of the auction given there’s not much time left. In this situation, all eight franchises would be presumed to remain with their current squads.
“What’s the point in doing a mega auction now and not have enough time to plan it properly? IPL might as well go ahead and finish the 2021 edition of the tournament and then see how it wants to go about,” a source told Times Of India.
In this case, the mega auction is likely to hold before the IPL season that will be held in 2022. Various reports also suggest that all IPL franchises are in agreement with BCCI decision to postpone the upcoming mega auction. The franchises ideally need 3-4 months to get their strategies in place for a mega auction.