This is the second time IPL auction will be held overseas after Dubai hosted IPL 2024 auction.
This will be the second time that the IPL auction will be held outside India. The IPL 2024 auction was held in Dubai, at the Coca-Cola center. The auction is set to clash with the third and fourth days of the first Test between India and Australia in Perth which begins on November 22.
Unlike normal auctions, the mega auction held every three years is spanned over two days rather than one, and it is one of cricket's most-watched spectacles, as the ten IPL franchises form their rosters for the coming three years (2025-27).
“An impressive total of 1,574 players (1,165 Indian and 409 overseas) signing up to be part of the mega TATA IPL 2025 Player Auction, which will be held over two days on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The list includes 320 capped players, 1,224 uncapped players, and 30 players from Associate Nations. There are 48 capped Indians, 272 capped international players, 965 uncapped Indian players, 104 uncapped international players, 152 Indian players who were part of previous IPL seasons, and 3 international players who were a part of previous IPL seasons,” the IPL statement read.
South Africa and Australia lead the list with 91 and 76 registrations respectively. With each franchise able to fill a maximum squad of 25 players, 204 slots will be up for grabs at the IPL 2025 Mega Auction.
On October 31, the deadline for teams to decide which players they will keep from their 2024 squads, 46 players were retained among the ten franchises.
Each team has a total purse of INR 120 crores to assemble their teams, however after the retention, the Punjab Kings have the most money left (INR 110.5 crores) to spend in the mega auction. Rajasthan Royals have the smallest purse of INR 41 crores, along with Kolkata Knight Riders, who have a purse of INR 51 crores.
This year's IPL allowed franchises to keep up to six players, with a maximum of five capped and two uncapped. The six players were retained outright before the IPL 2025 auction, or they bought back using Right-to-Match (RTM) options during the auction, or a combination of the two.
If a player is purchased by another franchise at the mega auction, the team from whom he played in IPL 2024 can jump in at the end of the bidding process and buy back their player using the RTM option by matching the highest bid.
If this happens, the player’s previous team will have to match the raised bid to buy back their player.
PBKS has the most RTM cards (4), having retained just 2 players. RCB has three RTM cards, DC has two. Five teams - MI, Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, SRH, and LSG have only one RTM card, as they retained five players each. RR and KKR have no RTM options.