Suresh Raina, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers headline IPL 2023 player auction

Viacom18 Sports, which won the digital rights to show the IPL from 2023-2027, has assembled the cricketers for the player auction to be held on December 23.

Its on-demand video app JioCinema will put out the coverage of the panel. The panel will be part of shows to keep fans engaged, including an in-house mock auction a day before. Suresh Raina will headline its Hindi coverage alongside RP Singh.

Anil Kumble and Robin Uthappa, Eoin Morgan, and former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris will put teeth into the English panel that will also do the commentary when 405 cricketers go under the hammer. The player auction will be put out in six languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and Malayalam.

Viacom18’s sports head of content, Siddharth Sharma, “It is an incredible group of the finest cricket minds that will resonate with viewers across generations and geography.”

Raina said: “I am coming back to the IPL armed with a mike in hand. It is exciting to be a part of this auction along with my friends and former teammates and engage with fans across India.”

Chris Gayle said: “This is as thrilling as it gets to return to the IPL in a different avatar with my former teammates and competitors for the auction. I hope to get the same love from the fans in my new role where I will do some talking and not my bat.”

de Villiers said: “India is a very special place and to come back to the IPL. I hope fans enjoy and appreciate my work with a mic in hand in tow with these luminaries.”

“After playing, and coaching in the IPL, I look forward to being an expert panellist for the 2023 auction on JioCinema,” said Anil Kumble. “In the company of the most reputed names from IPL’s history, I am sure viewers will be offered incisive coverage.”

The tournament is scheduled from March 25 to 28.