IPL Auction 2025: When Will Mitchell Starc come for Bidding at Mega Event?

The IPL 2025 mega auction is set to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on November 24th, 2024, featuring an auction pool comprising 574 players, split between 366 Indian and 208 international cricketers, offering teams a diverse selection of both capped and uncapped talent.

A notable highlight of the auction is the presence of 12 marquee players, most of whom are listed at the Rs. 2 crore base price. These marquee players, representing the cream of international and Indian cricket, are expected to spark intense bidding wars among franchises. Their base prices are set at either Rs. 1.5 crore or Rs. 2 crore, reflecting their elite status and proven track record in cricket.

Teams must build their squads within specific guidelines - maintaining between 18 to 25 players, with a maximum of 8 overseas players allowed. The auction features various base price categories, ranging from Rs. 30 lakhs to Rs. 2 crore, with 81 players positioned in the premium Rs. 2 crore bracket.

Mitchell Starc, the Australian star left-arm fast bowler, despite having limited exposure in IPL, proved to be very crucial for his teams. He debuted in IPL in 2014 and played for the consecutive season. However, after 2015, he made his return to IPL in 2024 with KKR.

The 34-year-old left-arm pacer was the most expensive player in last year's IPL auction. He was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for a price of Rs. 24.75 crore. Starc was crucial in KKR's last IPL journey to the trophy, especially in the later phase of the tournament. The veteran pacer has bagged 17 wickets for KKR in the last IPL.

Being a star left-arm pacer, along with his brutal pace, lethal swing and immaculate accuracy, always made him one of the centrepieces in the IPL auction. In this IPL auction also it is expected that Starc will start a bidding war among the franchises.

IPL 2025 Auction: When Can Mitchell Starc's Bidding Start?

The mega auction for IPL 2025 will commence at 3:00 PM Indian Standard Time (12:30 PM Jeddah local time). The auction features two distinct sets of marquee players, with six players in each set. The first set includes prominent names like Mitchell Starc, Jos Buttler, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Arshdeep Singh, and Kagiso Rabada.

Given the elite status of these players in cricket, intense competition among franchises is anticipated during the bidding process, which could extend the duration of the auction. Since Starc is placed in the opening set, his auction will take place in the early stages, beginning from 3:30 PM IST.

With six players in the first set, if Starc's name appears last in the sequence, his bidding is likely to start around 4:10 PM IST. Therefore, the bidding for the Australian pacer is expected to occur between 3:30 PM and 4:15 PM IST.

Note: The timeline of a player's arrival at the auction table is based on assumptions related to the IPL auction and the player's position in the shortlist. The aforementioned time can change as per auction dynamics.