Reports: BCCI eyeing Saudi cities for mega IPL 2025 auction

The huge IPL (Indian Premier League) 2025 auction is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia, according to the top authority that oversees Indian cricket, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India). The tournament, which is set for the final week of November, is being considered by the Indian board as taking place in either Riyadh or Jeddah.

Dubai is still an option, but it’s not the best alternative right now. Following the success of the previous year’s auction, which took place at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on December 19, 2023—a first for an overseas IPL auction—there has been talk about relocating to Saudi Arabia. For the BCCI, finding a suitable location in Saudi Arabia has proven to be difficult.

But according to, expenditures are far higher in Saudi cities than in Dubai, which creates a logistical challenge even for the wealthiest cricket league in the world. The BCCI need a venue big enough to hold the two-day event and fit in all of the IPL personnel, including representatives from Jio and Disney Star, the two broadcasters, and delegations from each of the ten franchises.

MS Dhoni has not yet said if he would play in the IPL in 2025.

At first, London was thought to be a possible location. The BCCI, however, opted against it because of the usual chilly weather in the UK at that time of year. Hugh Edmeades was replaced as the IPL’s first female auctioneer by Mallika Sagar last year.

The renowned MS Dhoni‘s involvement in the forthcoming season has still not been announced by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Mid-October in Mumbai is anticipated to see Dhoni meet with important CSK officials, at which point he is expected to make his final decision.

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It was recently decided by the BCCI that players such as Dhoni, who have not participated in international cricket for more than five years, can be considered ‘uncapped’ and be kept for INR 4 crore.