Xtra Time Web Desk: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction will now be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on November 24 and 25, after an unexpected venue change. Initially scheduled to take place in Riyadh, the auction has been moved to the Abady Al Johar Arena, also known as Benchmark Arena. This was confirmed through an internal communication addressed to IPL stakeholders, which also mentioned that accommodation would be arranged at the Hotel Shangri-La, located just 10 minutes from the auction venue.

The BCCI confirmed Jeddah as the final venue on Tuesday, revealing that 1574 players have registered for the auction, including 320 capped players, 1224 uncapped players, and 30 players from Associate Nations.

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The highly anticipated auction will coincide with the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia, which begins on November 22 in Perth. However, with the time difference between Australia and India, the auction, if held in the afternoon (IST), is expected to avoid overlap with the Test match broadcast.

Saudi Arabia's successful bid to host the event came after other international options, including Dubai, Singapore, and Vienna, were considered. BCCI officials conducted a visit to potential venues in Saudi Arabia last month to evaluate logistics, ensuring the IPL auction would be smoothly accommodated in Jeddah.

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