The auction for the Indian Premier League, the biggest franchise tournament in the world, takes place on Sunday and Monday, with England’s all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson on the shortlist.
There are 38 England-qualified players in the auction pool, including white-ball captain Jos Buttler, Harry Brook, Phil Salt, Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone.
Here is everything you need to know…
When is it?
The auction will be held on Sunday November 24 and Monday November 25 in Saudi Arabia, with coverage of day two live on Sky Sports Cricket from 12pm.
It will be only the second time the event has taken place outside India, with last year’s taking place in Dubai.
How does it work?
Initially a total of 1,574 players registered for the auction but that figure has been cut down to around 574 players, with 366 Indians and 208 overseas players, as well as three cricketers from associate nations.
The process sees players enter the auction at a base price and the 10 teams take turns to submit offers until no further bids are forthcoming.
Last year, Australia quick Mitchell Starc was the highest-paid player in the IPL, snapped up by Kolkata Knight Riders in a £2.32m deal.
Australia left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc went for the highest amount in last year’s aution
Which England players are involved?
England-qualified players in IPL auction: Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Sam Billings, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Ben Duckett, Leus du Plooy, Richard Gleeson, Chris Jordan, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Dan Lawrence, Liam Livingstone, Tymal Mills, Dan Mousley, Jamie Overton, David Payne, Michael Pepper, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Olly Stone, Reece Topley, John Turner, James Vince, Luke Wood, Dan Worrall.
What is happening with Archer?
Archer did not feature in the initial shortlist but has been added back to the final auction list.
The IPL clashes with the start of the County Championship season, which would mean Archer likely misses several red-ball matches for Sussex ahead of a potential England Test return next summer.
Archer has not played Test cricket since 2021 although England had been earmarking him for a return in the home series against India in 2025 ahead of the Ashes in Australia next winter.
When is the tournament?
The IPL is set to start on March 14 and run until the final on May 25. Fixtures have yet to be announced but every game will be shown exclusively live on Sky Sports.
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Highlights from Chennai as Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad to add to their previous IPL titles in 2012 and 2014
Who are the defending champions?
The reigning champions are Kolkata Knight Riders, who defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in the 2024 IPL final to secure their third title overall and first in a decade.