IPL auction set to be held in Abu Dhabi, date and venue being finalised: League sources

Dubai [UAE], November 11 (ANI): The auction for the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to be held in Abu Dhabi, with its governing council still working on finalising the deal and venue, as per league's sources.

As of now, the date for the auction is December 15-16.

A final confirmation on the venue and date will be made within the next few days, added the sources.

The 2025 IPL season was one of the ages as the man in number 18, Virat Kohli, ended his 18-year-long wait for an IPL trophy with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), beating Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the final by six runs at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.

Gujarat Titans (GT) opener Sai Sudharsan emerged as the top run-getter, with 759 runs in 15 matches at an average of 54.21, with a century and six fifties, and runs scored at a strike rate of 156.17.

Though GT could not make it to the final, they dominated the bowling charts too, with pacer Prasidh Krishna finishing at the top with 25 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 19.52 and best figures of 4/41.

Notably, in what could be one of the most high-profile trades in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history, Rajasthan Royals (RR) are reportedly set to trade their captain and long-time wicketkeeper-batter, Sanju Samson, to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in exchange for all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.

Both franchises have held initial discussions with the players involved, though neither team has officially confirmed the development. To complete the process, both CSK and RR must submit an expression of interest to the IPL Governing Council, naming the three players involved in the potential deal. Once the players give their written consent, the franchises can finalise the agreement, which will then need to be ratified by the governing council, as per ESPNcricinfo.

Sanju has been the face of Rajasthan Royals for more than a decade, representing the franchise in 11 seasons. Having joined RR in 2013, he quickly became one of their key players and was retained ahead of the 2014 season, at just 19 years old.

After RR's two-year suspension (2016-17), Samson returned in 2018 and took over the captaincy in 2021. Under his leadership and with the guidance of team director Kumar Sangakkara, RR reached the IPL final in 2022, their first appearance since winning the inaugural edition in 2008.

Samson led the team in 67 matches, winning and losing 33 each. He had his best IPL season in 2024, scoring 531 runs at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.47. He was retained for Rs 18 crore ahead of the 2025 season, but a side injury midway through the campaign ruled him out of the second half of the tournament, as RR's form collapsed, leading to a series of close losses. The team finished ninth out of ten.

Samson remains RR's all-time leading run-scorer with 4027 runs, holds the joint-most 50-plus scores (25), and has taken the most catches (149) for the franchise. After the 2025 season, he informed RR management that he wanted a change, prompting the team to explore trade options with other franchises.

On the other hand, Ravindra Jadeja has been an integral part of the Chennai Super Kings since joining them in 2012. Apart from the two years when CSK were suspended, Jadeja has been part of the franchise's core for over a decade, contributing to three of their five IPL titles. He was retained for Rs 18 crore ahead of the 2025 mega auction as CSK's second-choice player after captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. The all-rounder has played 254 IPL matches, the fifth-most in tournament history, and is CSK's leading wicket-taker with 143 scalps, including a best of 5/16.

Jadeja's most memorable moment came in the 2023 IPL final, when his last-over heroics against the Gujarat Titans sealed the title for CSK. It was also his best bowling season, taking 20 wickets, followed by another solid batting performance in 2025, where he scored 301 runs with two fifties. Interestingly, RR was Jadeja's first IPL team; he made his debut for them in 2008 as a 19-year-old and was part of their title-winning squad that year. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)