The 13th edition of Indian Premier League ended earlier this week, with defending champions Mumbai Indians lifting the trophy yet again. The Rohit Sharma-led team put on a brilliant show throughout the tournament, paving way for an effortless victory.

Reports suggest that the BCCI has now asked players to prepare themselves for the mega auction, ahead of IPL 2021 scheduled to begin in April, even as a 9th team is expected to be added for the 14th edition of the cash rich league. "The BCCI has told us to be prepared for an auction in a couple of months. Though it is not official, that they have asked us to be ready means they will go ahead as planned. Moreover, with a new team coming in, it makes sense to have an auction now rather than deferring it by a year," one of the IPL franchises reportedly informed a news agency. An Indian corporate giant has also expressed interest in buying a 9th franchise which will be based out of Ahmedabad, making the new Sardar Patel Stadium as its home ground. Even though there is no certainty as to who will buy the franchise or which player will captain the new team, an update regarding the same is expected soon. "The tender is most likely to come after Diwali, once a decision is taken in this regard. And regardless of whether it’s one franchise or two, if new teams come in then a mega auction cannot be avoided," a news agency quoted a source from BCCI.

Talking about the retention policy for the upcoming mega auction, another franchise official reportedly added, "The retention policy should continue even if a new team comes in because at this stage, it won’t be wise to have all players in the auction pool. Teams will have to compromise on brand value which is built on their star players."