BCCI undecided on venue for IPL 2026 auction but Middle East preferred hosts

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to take a U-turn on its earlier decision to bring the Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction back to India for the 2026 edition.

Last month, it was reported that BCCI is interested in hosting the IPL 2026 auction in India. After the Saudis showed interest in the league, the board took the event to Dubai, UAE, in 2023 and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2024.

Venue for the IPL 2026 auction

The PL Governing Council (GC) hadn’t convened on the matter by then, and it seems they have now. According to Cricbuzz, due to the festival and wedding season in India, the BCCI is thinking about sticking to the Middle East for now.

Abu Dhabi in the UAE is a strong contender, but other locations like Oman and Qatar aren’t off the table either.

Although it hasn’t been confirmed, reports suggest that BCCI will hold the IPL 2026 auction between December 13 and 15. Last year, due to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and Jay Shah’s departure as BCCI Secretary, the auction was held in Jeddah on November 24 and 25.

The deadline for retention is expected to be November 15, although the BCCI hasn’t confirmed this yet either.

IPL auction venues over the years

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