IPL 2024: The 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is likely to kick off on March 22. The season 17 of the marquee event will likely culminate around May end as per the reports by Espncricinfo. The schedule will be confirmed once the Election Commission determines the polling dates.
The organisers will be making sure the IPL 2024 ends at least a few days before the start of ICC T20 Men's World Cup 2024, which is scheduled to commence on June 4.
The announcement comes on the eve of the IPL 2024 auction, where franchises are all set to strengthen their squads for the upcoming season. The IPL 2024 Player Auction, scheduled for December 19th, 2023, will witness the participation of 333 cricketers set to go under the hammer at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.
Among the participants, 214 are Indian players, while 119 are from overseas, including 2 players from associate nations. The pool comprises 116 capped players, 215 uncapped players, and 2 from associate nations.
With a maximum of 77 slots available, up to 30 are designated for overseas players. The auction is set to commence at 1:00 PM IST.
Among the key updates for the IPL 2024, Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood, with a base price of INR 2 crore, will be unavailable until the first week of May. The decision comes due to personal reasons, as Hazlewood and his wife are expecting their first child.
All other Australian players in the auction are expected to be available for the entire season, with flexibility provided to those involved in the Sheffield Shield final scheduled from March 21 to 25.
In the English camp, young leg spin allrounder Rehan Ahmed has withdrawn from the auction. The 19-year-old, who listed his base price as INR 50 lakh, will be in India early next year for a five-Test series, and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) aim to manage his workload.
Bangladesh's Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam will be unavailable for the 2024 season due to their expected participation in the home series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in March and April.