'Worst Possible..': Punjab Kings Coach Ricky Ponting Slams IPL Organizers Over Mega Auction Dates

IPL Player Auction: In one of its kind of an event, the IPL mega auction is clashing with the fourth and the fifth day of the first Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Both the events hold a great significance in Indian cricket. IPL is India's biggest cricketing event, whereas the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is the pinnacle of Test cricket. Cricket fans will be on the edge of their seats as both the events promise to be nothing short of a blockbuster.

Interestingly, there is a nine-day gap between the Perth Test and the Adelaide Test match but the auction is clashing with the first Test of the series. People associated with both the IND vs AUS Test series and the IPL Mega Auctions have expressed their reservations regarding the scheduling of both these events.

IPL Mega Auction Dates Leave Ricky Ponting Fuming

The IPL mega auction clashing with the 1st IND vs AUS Test has created a huge problem not only for Ricky Ponting, but also for Justin Langer and Daniel Vettori. Assistant coach of the Australian cricket team is also the Sunrisers Hyderabad 's Head coach and he'll have to miss the series opener to be present at the IPL Mega Auction. Ponting and Langer too will have to leave their broadcast duties midway to attend the marquee IPL event.

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The clash of these two events has left former Australia cricket captain Ricky Ponting fuming and he feels that the break between the first and the second Test match could well be used for the IPL auctions. 'It’s the worst possible case scenario for me and JL. We for te last couple of months felt that it was probably going to be in the gap between the Test matches. It takes all the pressure off the players from both teams. There are a lot of players in both teams in the auction.', added Ponting.

A Blockbuster IPL Mega Auction On Cards

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Rishabh Pant , Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Arshdeep Singh will headline a 574-strong list of players with top base price of Rs 2 crore at the upcoming Indian Premier League auction scheduled in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah on November 24 and 25. Thirteen-year-old India U-19 cricketer Vaibhav Suryavanshi from Bihar is the youngest among the lot at Rs 30 lakh base price.

The BCCI on Friday pruned the initial list of 1574 players down to 574 out of which 366 are Indians and 208 from overseas. All the current India players are in top base price bracket. Apart from Pant, set to be the costliest buy at the auction with a team like Punjab Kings aiming to go the distance with Rs 110.50 crore in its kitty, the other big names include IPL winning captain Shreyas Iyer, India's most prolific T20I bowler Arshdeep Singh, KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal and Avesh Khan.