The glitzy Indian Premier League (IPL) will be back soon as the auction for the 2023 season is slated to be held in mid-December later this year, a source privy to the development confirmed Sports Tak on Friday (September 23).
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is contemplating to stage the IPL's sixteenth edition's auction on December 16 tentatively.
"Since auction period for this season will be held in December most likely around sixteenth. This is the tentative date. I will tell you there are many things which need to be looked after all franchise will be trading players. Once all will be set, we will decide the date. As of now I can tell you that the auction will be held in December as the date will be finalised soon," the source told Sports Tak.
Although the location has not yet been decided, it is understandable that it will be a mini-auction. Though the league's exact dates are still unknown, it is anticipated to resume its home-and-away structure in the fourth week of March. Each team will begin the auction with resources of at least INR 5 crore because the salary cap has been increased to Rs 95 crore, Rs 5 crore more what than it was last year. If a franchise trades or releases its players, the purse balance may grow even larger.
Earlier on Thursday, BCCI's president Sourav Ganguly confirmed that IPL 2023 will revert to the home and away format, which would mean that the games would be played across 10 locations this time, instead of what had been eight before the COVID-19 pandemic, and just three venues for the 2022 edition for the league stage.
"The next season of the men's IPL will also go back to the home and away format with all the 10 teams playing their home matches at their designated venues," Ganguly had mentioned in a mail to the state associations.
Ganguly also mentioned that the BCCI had set up some plans for the much awaited Women's IPL, which is likely to get underway early next year, in January. Many female cricketers from across the world expressed their desire to participate in the Women's IPL if the tournament gets the go ahead.
