IPL 2024 auction likely to take place in Dubai - Reports

IPL 2024 auction is expected to be held on 18th and 19th December in Dubai.

With just a few months to go until the next Indian Premier League season commences, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has started its preparations. The auction for the IPL 2024 is likely to be held outside of India for the first time. Dubai has emerged as the front-runner to host the big IPL 2024 auction. Teams have also started preparing with their released player lists and charting out new strategies.

New auction venue, Dubai!

According to a few media reports, BCCI has also decided to host the IPL 2024 auction in December, like the previous year. It is expected that the auction will be held in a window between December 15 and December 19. The Women's Premier League auction is also expected to be held in the early weeks of December, on December 9. The venue for the Women's' Premier League will be India, but IPL governing council may seek a foreign venue for IPL 2024 auction.

Even in 2023, IPL governing council was looking to host the auction in Istanbul, but after much deliberation between the franchises and council, Kochi was picked as the final venue for the event. IPL franchises have been informed about the council’s motive for taking IPL auction out of India, but the final call is yet to be made. Dubai is seen as front-runner and has also hosted the tournament on several occasions.

It is most likely that the IPL 2024 auction will be held on December 18th and 19th. Broadcasters would like to see the dates on weekends to attract more eyeballs, but 18th and 19th will fall on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. BCCI is yet to finalize the venue for the second season of Women’s Premier League. This will be the second season of WPL and set to be played in February next year. Earlier, it happened in March, just a few days before IPL 2023.

BCCI will be giving final clarity on the venue for WPL soon. The inaugural season of WPL was held in only one city. Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium in DY Patil Stadium hosted the entire tournament, and the finals was played at Brabourne Stadium. IPL Governing Council also needs to consider the upcoming Indian General Elections in 2024, which may clash with the league dates, before finalizing the schedule.