Mumbai, Sept 17:
The IPL players’ auction for the 2027 season is likely to return to India, with league chairman Arun Dhumal expressing his desire to bring the event back home after three consecutive editions were held overseas.
The previous three auctions were conducted outside India, with Dubai hosting the auction before Jeddah staged the mega auction and Abu Dhabi hosting the most recent edition. Dhumal said the IPL would like to conduct the 2027 auction in India, provided a suitable venue is available.
“Every year we try for this to happen in India, but we don’t get the venue given the heavy marriage season,” Dhumal told PTI. “We definitely want it to be here this year, given that it would be a smaller auction and hopefully we will get the venue.”
The final venue and host city will be decided after taking into account the availability of the BCCI’s preferred venue. The 2027 auction is expected to be a smaller event compared with the mega auction conducted for the previous cycle.
Dhumal is also set to be re-elected as IPL chairman during the BCCI Annual General Meeting on September 18. Khairul Majumdar is also expected to be re-elected to the IPL Governing Council during the AGM.
Meanwhile, the contentious Impact Player rule was discussed at a recent meeting of the IPL Governing Council. The BCCI had sought fresh feedback from the franchises on the rule, which is currently scheduled to remain in place until 2027.
Several prominent players have previously expressed reservations about the Impact Player system. India ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill, former captain Rohit Sharma, all-rounder Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel are among those who have questioned the rule.
The players have argued that the substitution system could dilute the role and importance of genuine all-rounders. The concerns were also raised by a majority of IPL captains ahead of the 2026 season, prompting renewed discussion over whether the rule should be scrapped.
Under the Impact Player rule, a team can substitute a player at any stage of a match, allowing it to alter its combination according to the match situation.
Dhumal said the BCCI was open to reviewing the system after considering the views of all stakeholders.
“The matter is under discussion. We will take feedback from all the stakeholders and then take a call on this,” he said.
The discussions over the Impact Player rule are expected to continue as the BCCI assesses its long-term implications for the league and the development of all-round cricketers.