Strategic bidding

Back in 2008, on the lines of popular franchise tournaments across sports worldwide, cricket in India took a drastic turn.

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The hybrid model combining cricket and business came to manifest as the Indian Premier League. Now in its 18th year, the business aspect of the tournament has come to be more refined than ever, with strategies becoming more discrete and evolved. The 2025 IPL Mega Auction in Jeddah was nothing short of a blockbuster. It delivered all the drama and thrill cricket fans have come to expect from the sport's grandest marketplace.

Gone are the days when team owners picked their potential squads from auctions merely on the basis of stardom and popularity. A great deal of research and planning appears to be going into auctions. Pragmatic combinations, and not flamboyance, has become the yardstick of decision-making. The IPL, as a franchise sport, is fast approaching maturity. Or can it be said to have reached a fulcrum already?