However, things will be done slightly differently this time round. The auction for the 2019 season is set to be held during the prime-time television slot which will reportedly start at 3 pm and go on for the duration of the entire day. Usually, the auction used to begin in the morning and last till evening.

A communication has been sent to the IPL franchises that the auction will start in the afternoon and end by 9.30 pm as Star Sports officials are keen on attracting higher television viewership, based on the report in Mumbai Mirror. While television ratings is a major factor for the change in time,another factor that came into play was the India-Australia series. The second Test of the four-match series is scheduled to start at 7.50 am IST on December 14 and the fifth day will end around 3 pm IST, if the match goes on for the duration of the five days.

The report further shed some light on the discontent among the IPL franchises over the date of the auction, and also the mystery surrounding the venue of the tournament. There are reports that South Africa and Dubai are being considered as alternate venues to host the tournament, due to the general elections that are scheduled in India in April and May. The teams have also been notified that the final list of players that are eligible to play next season will be handed over to them in the first week of December.