Image: Daniel Vettori to leave BGT to attend in IPL 2025 auction / © ESPNcricinfo
Cricket fans are gearing up for an exciting week as the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia kicks off. Adding to the thrill, the IPL Auction 2025 will take place during the second and third days of the first Test, creating a unique overlap of two major cricketing events.
Australia’s assistant coach, Daniel Vettori, who also serves as the head coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad, has already flown to Jeddah to attend the auction. Despite his absence, Australia captain Pat Cummins reassured that their preparation remains unaffected, as Vettori was actively involved in pre-series planning. Cummins, retained by SRH as captain, believes the auction won’t distract players, stating they are used to the process. He said:
For the players, I don’t think so. Most of the guys have been in the auction before and the reality is you can’t really do anything. Just sitting back and seeing if you get selected or not. It’s not a distraction as far as I can see it.
Meanwhile, former cricketers like Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer, who have dual roles as IPL coaches and commentators for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, have criticized the scheduling. Ponting suggested that hosting the auction between Tests would have eased the pressure on players and coaches. Fans, however, are excited to enjoy both events simultaneously.