The Indian Premier League mini-auction for the 2024 season will be held in Dubai on December 19, the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) confirmed on Sunday, December 3. This will be the first time that the auction will be held overseas. A total of 1166 players have registered for the auction which will be the last mini-auction before next year's mega auction.
World Cup-winning Australian stars including Travis Head, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc will be part of the auction. Their base price will be Rs 2 crore while New Zealand's highly-rated young all-rounder Rachin Ravindra will be available for a base price of Rs 50 lakhs. Ravindra has impressed the Cricketing World by scoring 543 runs and picking 5 wickets in 10 matches in the World Cup 2023.
The deadline for the retention of players was on Sunday, November 26 with teams actively releasing players. The trade window is still open and will close on December 12, a week before the mini-auction.
The trading window saw one of the most historic transfers in the league. Hardik Pandya led Gujarat Titans to glory in IPL 2022 and also led them to the final in 2023. He has now made a return to the Mumbai Indians in an all-cash deal. Mumbai Indians traded out Australian all-rounder Cameron Green to Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The teams retained a total of 173 players on the deadline day on November 26. As a result of the Hardik Pandya trade, Gujarat Titans will head to the auction with the maximum purse of Rs 38.15 crore while Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals have Rs 31.4 crore and Rs 28.95 crore.
BREAKING: N Srinivasan returns to CSK as Chairman in advisory role
Former BCCI President N Srinivasan is making a comeback to the realm of sports administration as the chairman of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), primarily in an advisory role.
80-year-old Srinivasan was appointed the president of the franchise in the CSK board meeting a few weeks ago. Although he will play an advisory role, his presence will strengthen the strategic direction of the team.
At this age, N Srinivasan will not be able to travel much. That is why his role will mainly be that of an advisor. The team's CEO Kasi Viswanthan clarified that CSK will remain in constant touch with him and will seek his guidance in important decisions. His strategic thinking and administrative skills will help set a new direction for the team.
"See, it's a great boon for CSK and he's been the best administrator for us and I'm very happy that he's come back into CSK. He'll be in an advisory role only because he doesn't travel much, but we'll be in contact with him.
"Both of us are in Chennai only. So he's in day-to-day contact with us," said Viswanathan.
Will also oversee global leagues
Chennai Super Kings is not limited to IPL only. It also has stakes in South Africa's SA20 League and America's Major Cricket League (MLC). N Srinivasan will oversee CSK's properties in both these leagues.
The CEO said Srinivasan will be in charge of all global properties and his guidance will further strengthen the international identity of the franchise. "He will be in charge everything (all CSK properties)" said the CEO.
CSK is already one of the most successful and popular franchises in the IPL. MS Dhoni's captaincy and stable administration have made it a brand.
Now Srinivasan's return will not only give the team strategic strength but will also strengthen the image of the franchise at the global level. His deep understanding and long experience in cricket administration is expected to make CSK's future even brighter.
Rahul Dravid has decided to part ways with Rajasthan Royals as a head coach ahead of the 2026 IPL season, after turning down a "broader position" within the franchise. Rajasthan Royals announce this on Saturday.
The Indian team won the T20 World Cup last year under the coaching of Rahul Dravid. After this, his contract ended. After leaving the post of head coach of the Indian team, Dravid joined Rajasthan Royals as a head coach ahead of IPL 2025. However, the performance of the RR team was quite disappointing. Now, after just one season, Dravid has decided to part ways with the team.
Rajasthan Royals posted on social media X and informed about Dravid's resignation. The franchise wrote, "Rahul has been central to the Royals' journey for many years. His leadership has influenced a generation of players, instilled strong values within the squad, and left an indelible mark on the culture of the franchise,"
"As part of the franchise structural review, Rahul had been offered a broader position at the franchise but has chosen not to take this. The Rajasthan Royals, its players, millions of fans worldwide extend heartfelt thanks to Rahul for his remarkable service to the franchise," the statement added.
The franchise said that Rahul Dravid was offered some other position instead of the head coach. He refused this and resigned.
RR won only 4 matches in 2025
Former Indian captain Rahul Dravid was part of Rajasthan Royals as a player from 2011 to 2015. He then returned to the franchise last year. The Royals' 2025 campaign was disappointing. The team won only 4 matches in 14 matches. Rajasthan Royals finished 9th in the table with 8 points. The franchise has not won any title since the first season of IPL.
Interestingly, the Royals announcement comes amidst rumours that skipper Sanju Samson also wants to leave the franchise. If Samson also leaves the side, it will leave the Royals in a tricky position a few months before the mini auction.
The ICC Women's World Cup 2025 is to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka and a total of 8 teams are to participate in it. But even before the tournament starts, a big change has been made in its schedule.
After the stampede in Bengaluru, the ICC has now decided to shift the matches to be held at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to the ground in Navi Mumbai, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Friday.
Matches cancelled in Bengaluru due to RCB stampede case
After 17 years of long wait, RCB team finally won the IPL 2025 title. After this, RCB players gathered at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to celebrate the victory. There was a huge crowd to see them and after this many fans lost their lives due to a stampede.
Then the Karnataka government formed a commission, which declared the Bengaluru ground unsafe for big events. Now after this, the ICC has decided not to hold matches on the Bengaluru ground.
Matches will be held at Navi Mumbai ground
The match between India and Sri Lanka was to be held on 30 September at Bengaluru ground, which will now be played at Guwahati ground. The match between England and South Africa was also scheduled to be held on 3 October, which will now be held in Guwahati. The match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on 20 October was to be played at Colombo ground, which will now be played at Navi Mumbai ground.
On the other hand, Navi Mumbai has got two more matches to be played in Bengaluru. These include India vs New Zealand (23 October) and India vs Bangladesh (26 October). There is also a strong possibility that the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 final will be held either in Navi Mumbai or Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Jay Shah expressed satisfaction about the new venue
"Navi Mumbai has emerged as a genuine home for women’s cricket in recent years. The support it has received during international fixtures and the Women’s Premier League has been remarkable, creating an atmosphere that elevates the players and inspires fans. I am certain that the same energy will define the big matches of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup as it returns to India after 12 years," Jay Shah said in an ICC release.
“We stand at a pivotal moment in the journey of the women’s game. This World Cup has the potential to be remembered as one of those defining milestones that shaped the sport’s future, not only in India but across the cricketing world.
“While unforeseen circumstances required us to adjust the schedule and replace a venue, we are pleased to now have a line-up of five world-class venues that will showcase the very best of the women’s game. The stage is set, and I am confident this tournament will capture imaginations and inspire a new generation of fans.”
Shubman Gill, with his 722 runs and counting in the ongoing England vs India 2025 test series, is the batter with the third most runs for India in a test series.
Shubman Gill became only the third India batter to score more than 700 runs in a test series. Image | BCCI on X
Since the beginning, India has been known for producing great batsmen. From great Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, and Rahul Dravid to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, they have all been among the best batsmen of their respective eras.Though all of these batters have set multiple records, only a few could score over 600 test runs in a series.
In this article, we present you with the list of players with the most runs for India in a test series.
Most Runs for India in a Test Series
#1. Suni Gavaskar | 774 in 1970-71 vs West Indies
In India's tour of the West Indies in 1970-71, Sunil Gavaskar made his debut and became the first Indian batter to score 700 or more runs in a test series. In the five-match test series against West Indies, Gavaskar scored 774 runs with an average of 154.80.
The highlight of the series was his 124 and a brilliant 220 in the final test. During that historic series, Gavaskar also struck four centuries and three half-centuries in eight innings, which helped India win the five-match test series by 1-0.
#2. Sunil Gavaskar | 732 in 1978-79 vs West Indies
Sunil Gavaskar scored 732 runs in the India vs West Indies 1978/79 test series. Image | Wisden
Sunil Gavaskar is the only Indian batter to have scored over 700 runs in a test series, that too for two times in his career. During the six-match test series against West Indies at home in 1978-79, Gavaskar slammed a total of 732 runs in nine innings with an unbelievable average of 91.50. This is also a record for an Indian captain in a test series.
The little master slammed four centuries and one half-century with a best of 205 and helpedIndia win that six-match series by 1-0.
Shubman Gill after hitting 4th ton of the Anderson-Tendulakr 2025 series. Image | BCCI on X
In the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar series 2025, the current Indian test captain has scored 722 runs in 4 test matches so far. In his first test series as a captain, Shubman Gill first broke the record for the highest test score by an Indian captain and then went on to equal the record for most test centuries in a series (4).
Gill is currently the third batter in test history to score 4 test centuries as a captain in a single series, alongside Don Bradman and Sunil Gavaskar. Till now, Gill has scored 722 runs at an average of 90.25 and has converted every fifty into a ton. He will get two more innings to break Sunil Gavaskar's record.
He is now the third on the list of players with the most runs for India in a test series.
Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal ended up as the leading run-scorer of the recently concluded IND vs ENG 2024 test series with 712 runs in five matches. He struck two double hundreds and three fifties in the test series.
The 22-year-old became the second batter after legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar to score 700 or more runs in a test series.
King Kohli has smashed more than 1500 test runs against the mighty Aussies. However, his career-best performance against the Australian side came in the four-match test series in 2014-15 on Australian soil. The right-handed batter fought alone and ended the series with 692 runs in four matches at an average of 86.50, including four centuries and one half-century.
His best score was 169 in that series. Despite his brilliant performance, India lost the series 2-0.
During the England vs India 2016/17 test series, Virat Kohli brought out his best against the English side. During the five-match series, the former Indian skipper hammered 655 runs, including two centuries and two half-centuries, with the highest score of 235 with a huge average of 109.16 in eight innings.
Kohli's outstanding performance helped India win the five-match series 4-0.
Note: The article was first written by Abishek Goswami and then was updated by Koushik Biswas.
Major setback for BCCI as Bombay HC orders to pay ₹538 crore to defunct IPL team Kochi Tuskers Kerala
An impact of legal ruling marks a major setback for BCCI as Bombay HC orders to pay ₹538 crore to defunct IPL team Kochi Tuskers Kerala. Get the complete story here.
For years, the Board of Control for Crock in India (BCCI) has navigated various challenges. However a recent coury order is set to have a major financial impact on the sport's governing body.
This ruling revisits a past chapter involving a former IPL team and a long-standing dispute with them. The decision has arrived after a decade of the case, and brings a major setback for BCCI as Bombay HC orders to pay ₹538 crore to defunct IPL team Kochi Tuskers Kerala.
Read the full story to know why.
How the BCCI-Kochi Tuskers Kerala dispute began
BCCI authorities, 2025. Image | Facebook
The root of this major legal battle dates back to 2011, when the BCCI terminated the contract of the IPL team Kochi Tuskers Kerala. The team, managed by Kochi Cricket Private Limited (KCPL), had only played in one IPL season.
The BCCI claimed they ended the contract because Kochi Tuskers failed to provide a required annual bank guarantee by a deadline in March 2011. This was seen by the BCCI as a serious breach of their agreement.
However, the team owners had a different view. They argued that their delay was due to several issues, including problems with the stadium in Kochi and delays in getting necessary approvals. They also stated that the BCCI continued to deal with them and even accepted payments for months after the March deadline.
The team owners believed this showed the BCCI had waived or overlooked the deadline, making their sudden contract termination unfair.
Taking the matter to arbitration:
Because they felt the termination was wrong, the Kochi Tuskers owners took the matter to arbitration in 2012. An independent tribunal looked at all the facts. In June 2015, this tribunal ruled in favor of Kochi Tuskers Kerala.
The tribunal specifically directed the BCCI to pay ₹384.83 crore to Kochi Cricket Private Limited (KCPL) for lost earnings and ₹153.34 crore to Rendezvous Sports World (RSW) for a wrongfully cashed bank guarantee. These amounts also included interest and legal costs.
The Financial Fallout: Why ₹538 crore to be paid now?
Bombay High Court. Image | Wikipedia
The BCCI challenged the 2015 arbitration award in the Bombay High Court, arguing it was unfair and that the damages were too high. However, the recent Bombay HC ruling upheld the original arbitration decision.
This means the BCCI is now legally requiredto pay a total of over ₹538 crore, including accumulated interest since 2015, to the KTK owners. This represents a major financial loss and a significant legal defeat for the Indian cricket board.