Few buyers for IPL’s mega auction

Is it time IPL bid goodbye to mega auctions? It’s a question that comes up the season after every mega auction and is debated before the collective opinion leans towards holding on to something that’s given the league a distinct identity.

The IPL auction is like the NFL draft, a mega TV property, though unlike drafts it’s not an open event attracting huge crowds. The two-day event in Bengaluru in February saw ₹550 crore splurged by the 10 franchises. A record 50 million TV viewers tuned in as per data from India’s TV ratings body BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council). Time spent by viewers went up to 3.6 billion minutes from 2.5bn minutes in the 2018 mega auction.

A BCCI official was non-committal when asked about the future of the mega auction. But consensus is growing among franchises that it may be time to move on now that the next IPL expansion is not expected any time soon.

BCCI are likely to discuss it with its new media rights partners after next week’s e-auction. One IPL insider says discussions have already been held over its after-effects—drastic squad overhauls. It is believed the resultant fan disconnect may have contributed to poor TV viewership this IPL. BARC, BCCI and broadcasters Disney Star didn’t share viewership numbers but many stakeholders indicate the drop is around 30% from last year.

There may be other reasons too. Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, the two most popular and successful teams, finished last on the table. After losing five key players, including the Pandya brothers, Hardik and Krunal, five-time champions MI couldn’t find quality replacements in the auction and that reflected in their poor finish. Delhi Capitals suffered after losing many crucial players in the auction.

Franchises are equally concerned about losing younger players. “It’s just not fair that you build a team, groom them and you lose them after three years,” said Parth Jindal, co-owner, DC, said after the retentions.