The second and third days of the first Test between India and Australia in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy coincide with the highly anticipated 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction. This scheduling overlap has created unique challenges for both players and coaching staff involved in the series and the IPL.
Australia’s assistant coach, Dan Vettori, who also serves as the head coach of the IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad, had to make adjustments to manage his responsibilities. Vettori has flown to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where the IPL auction is set to take place on November 24 and 25.
Australian captain Pat Cummins confirmed Vettori’s departure, emphasizing that the team remains well-prepared despite his absence.
“Dan has obviously flown over there. But he has been here for the whole prep, we’ve done a lot of meetings, done all the chats, and he will be watching and keeping an eye on it anyway,” Cummins assured reporters.
The IPL auction often draws significant attention from players, and this timing could serve as a potential distraction for those involved in both the auction and the Test match. Both Indian and Australian cricketers will likely be closely monitoring their fate in the league while focusing on their on-field performances.
