IPL Mega Auction Day 1: 84 players to go under the hammer
Big names Faf du Plessis, Kane Williamson and Prithvi Shaw to feature on Day 2 of the mega auction
On the morning of the Indian Premier League 2025 Mega Auction, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) circulated a detailed timeline and guidelines outlining how the proceedings will unfold over the two days. One key guideline pertains to the value of a raised bid when a Right to Match (RTM) option is exercised, emphasizing its importance in the auction dynamics.
In all, first-12 sets and 84 players will go under the hammer on Sunday (November 24). The auction starts at 3.30 PM IST, 1 PM local time.
"Raising of RTM bid can be any amount -- doesn't have to be a rounded figure," said a relevant advisory on the note from the BCCI. This is about a new clause in the RTM option which has divided the franchises over its introduction. Collectively there are 14 RTM cards available among the 10 franchises.
More pertinently, the bidding will start with the much-awaited marquee lists. The Marquee Players are divided into two groups, each comprising six cricketers. The first group includes Jos Buttler, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh, and Mitchell Starc. The second group features Yuzvendra Chahal, Liam Livingstone, David Miller, KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj. The two marquee sets are expected to consume a significant portion of the INR 641.5 crore total purse available across the teams.
Following the completion of these marquee sets, a lunch break is scheduled.
The auction will proceed in the following order: Marquee Lots, followed by lunch, then Capped Batters, All-Rounders, and Wicketkeepers. This will be followed by a 15-minute break. Next, Capped Bowlers will go under the hammer, followed by another 10-minute break. The final set on Day 1 will feature the first Uncapped Players set, comprising seven players. It means big names like Faf du Plessis, Kane Williamson, Prithvi Shaw and Ajinkya Rahane, among others, will come for bidding on Monday.
Day 2 will cover the remaining players in the register. The business will be normal up to Player No. 116, after which the accelerated process will begin. Franchises will be required to submit a list of 25 players for the fast-tracking phase. Overall, there are 577 players available to fill, potentially, 204 slots, including up to 70 overseas players.
The BCCI has also given bidding increments which are as follows:
0 - INR 1 Cr: 5L
INR 1 - 2 Cr: 10L
INR 2 - 5 Cr: 20L
INR 5 Cr+: 25L
If base price is INR 1.25 cr then second bid will be 1.3 cr
