IPL Auction 2024 rules: How players are sold - and unsold
In just a few hours the gavel will fall, marking the commencement of the IPL 2024 player auction – a cricketing spectacle where talent takes center stage and fortunes change hands in a heartbeat. This annual dance of demand and supply sets the stage for the T20 extravaganza that grips India, promising to unleash record-breaking bids and unearth the next generation of cricketing superstars. Dubai's Coca-Cola Stadium will be home to approximately 8-plus hours of intense bidding war. Banks will break, money will be splurged and new connections will be built as players find new and old homes.
For veterans, it's another platform to prove their mettle, while the youngsters will have an opportunity to strike gold. So with that being said, ahead of the grand extravaganza, here is a step-by-step dissection of all the rules and procedures that franchises, auctioneers and players will follow. But before the bidding frenzy takes over, let's get you prepped with the essential directives that govern this gala event.
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Eligibility and squad compositionPlayers need to be nominated by their respective cricket boards and meet the BCCI's eligibility criteria. Each player sets their own base price as an entry point for bidding. Each team can have a maximum of 25 players, with specific restrictions on the number of Indian and overseas players. As for the main round, players are called out one by one, and franchises raise paddles to bid.
How do players climb up the monetary ranks?As the auctioneer's voice calls out each name, the battle lines are drawn. Players' base prices become the starting points of what promises to be a thrilling ascension. Suspense unfolds as bids ascend in ₹20 lakh increments until the ₹1 crore mark is breached. Then, the stakes intensify. Each successful bid between ₹1 crore and ₹2 crore pushes the price up by ₹25 lakh, and beyond the ₹2 crore mark, the bids climb by ₹50 lakh with each raise of the gavel. Who will break records? Which rising star will spark a bidding frenzy that shatters previous benchmarks? If history is anything to go by, plenty.
What is the accelerated round?There exists a special lane that allows certain players a fast-track entry into teams. This unique process unfolds in the first few sets, where the names of initial players from both capped and uncapped lists are called out. A break follows before the actual bidding ensues. Making the most of this breather, franchises strategically submit lists of players they wish to acquire from the remaining sets. In this crucial pause, the IPL Governing Council takes charge, compiling a fresh list of players for an 'accelerated round' of bidding. This accelerated round is a swift and intense affair, shaping the fate of players based on the franchises' submissions. Should slots remain vacant and teams find themselves with cash left to spare, additional bidding rounds may unfold, specifically targeting unsold players. The IPL player auction, with its strategic pauses and accelerated rounds, thus becomes a head-turner.
A second wind for unsold playersEven if a player happens to miss out on the initial bidding rush, there's still hope. Following the conclusion of the accelerated round, teams left with available slots and budgetary flexibility can submit fresh lists, highlighting unsold players. This phase becomes a platform for redemption, where undiscovered talents, initially overlooked in the fervor of the opening bids, can discover their rightful homes. At the 2018 auction, Chris Gayle was picked last-minute by Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab), and he went on to score 368 runs, and while it wasn't the best of seasons for The Universe Boss, he did light up the IPL next year with a tally of 490 runs.
Is there a Right to Match card option available?The much-debated 'Right to Match' card, which made a lot of noise during the first few seasons, no longer exists. Introduced ahead of the IPL 2018 auction, the RTM card, which allowed a franchise to buy an unretained cricketer who played for them in the previous edition for the highest bidding amount the player received in that auction, was discontinued ahead of the IPL mega auction in 2022. As the number of retentions were increased from 3 to 5, the provision of the RTM card was scrapped.
How does set-wise auction work?The shortlisted players for the IPL Auction 2024 have been categorized into 19 sets based on their forte: batters, all-rounder, fast bowler, spinner, and wicketkeeper. The sequencing alternates between capped and uncapped players after a few sets. The top price bracket is capped at ₹2 crore, featuring a total of 23 players. The Indian players included in this list are Harshal Patel, Shardul Thakur, and Umesh Yadav. Subsequent price slabs include ₹1.5 crore, ₹1 crore, ₹75 lakhs, ₹50 lakhs, ₹40 lakhs, ₹30 lakhs ₹20 lakhs.
