The 10 Indian Premier League (IPL) teams will be allowed six retentions each, including one Right to Match card, ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Saturday.

The mega auction will take place in November or December, with the BCCI exploring the possibility of holding it overseas, with Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) emerging as the front-runner. Muscat and Doha are also being considered.

While the exact dates are yet to be finalised, BCCI officials have unofficially indicated two potential windows to the franchises: either the second week of November or the third week of December.

Notably, the most recent mini-auction was held in Dubai, marking the first time the IPL auction took place overseas. This event featured two standout bids — Mitchell Starc, fetching an incredible Rs. 24.75 crore from Kolkata Knight Riders, and Pat Cummins, who was sold to Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs. 20.50 crore.

The auction was hosted by Mallika Sagar, who made history as the first female auctioneer in the IPL’s 16-year run, succeeding long-time auctioneer Hugh Edmeades.

During the last mega auction in 2022, the highest bid was placed for Ishan Kishan, who was acquired by the Mumbai Indians for Rs. 15.25 crore.

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Sunrisers Hyderabad to lift the IPL 2024 title.