NEW DELHI: The BCCI is reportedly planning to hold the two-day Indian Premier League mega auction on February 7 and 8 in Bengaluru, presuming that the Covid situation in the country does not unravel out of control that is.
“Unless the Covid-19 situation worsens, we will have the IPL mega auction in India. The two-day event will be held on February 7 and 8 and like other years, we plan to hold it in Bengaluru. Preparations are underway,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
There were reports that auction will be held in the UAE but as of now, BCCI has no such plans.
However with the emergence of Omicron variant of Covid-19 and cases on the rise, the situation will remain fluid but if there are restrictions with regards to overseas travel (unless all owners decide to use charter planes), conducting it in India will be less of a logistical nightmare.
This year’s IPL will be a 10-team affair with Sanjiv Goenka-owned Lucknow franchise along with CVC Capital-owned Ahmedabad team making their collective debuts in the cash awash league.
Most of the franchise owners feel that mega auctions have passed their sell-by-date and a team’s composition and balance gets severely compromised when there are auctions after every three years.
