The Indian Cricket Board is planning to hold the Indian T20 league auction for the 2023 edition in mid-December this year, with the 16th likely to be the date. The tentative schedule has been discussed among the franchises who have apparently got the indication from both the Board and League’s authorities during informal conversations recently.
Understandably, it will be a mini-auction but the venue has not yet been finalised. The dates of the tournament are still not known but it is likely to start in the fourth week of March. As per a statement by the Indian Cricket Board President, Sourav Ganguly the tournament will take place in the home and away format.
The salary purse for the auction will be INR 95 crore, five crores more from last year, which means each team will have reserves of at least INR five crores to start with. The purse can further increase if a franchise releases its players or trades them.
A rift between Ravindra Jadeja and Chennai
Since Indian T20 League 2022, when Chennai franchise management had an alleged fallout with Ravindra Jadeja, speculation has been rife that the star all-rounder would either be traded to another team or released. Recent reports even suggested a trade between Chennai and Gujarat for Jadeja and Shubman Gill. However, both franchises have denied any such move.
There have, however, been requests for trade for Jadeja from a couple of other teams, Delhi being one of them. But the Chennai management has stated that it has no plans to part with the all-rounder, arguably one of the best in the world.
Besides Jadeja, according to a report by Cricbuzz, Gujarat has got requests for trade for Rahul Tewatia and R Sai Kishore but the current champions of the league have declined the offers. The transfer/trade window will remain open till one week before the auction and will re-open after it.
Meanwhile, Sourav Ganguly has written to the state associations that the Indian T20 League 2023 will be back to the normal home and away model and also spoke of the women’s edition of the league. “The next season of men’s Indian T20 League will also go back to the home and away format with all 10 teams playing their home matches at their designated venues,” the Indian Cricket Board president said in a letter to the state units.
On the women’s edition, Ganguly said: “The Indian Cricket Board is currently working on the much-awaited Women’s Indian T20 League. We are expecting to start the first season early next year. More details on this will follow in due course.”
The Indian Cricket Board will take up the matter at the AGM next month. After approval from the general body, steps will be initiated to start the league.
