The IPL 2027 players' auction is likely to be held in Goa on December 16, sources told India Today, bringing the event back to India after three consecutive editions were held overseas.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had confirmed in September that Goa would host the auction in December. "This year, after hosting the IPL auction in three foreign locations, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi last year, we are going to host it in Goa in the month of December," Saikia had told ANI.

The auction was held in Dubai in 2023, Jeddah in November 2024 and Abu Dhabi in December 2025, taking the event outside India for three successive editions.

IPL chairman Arun Dhumal had earlier said the BCCI wanted to bring the auction back to India but had struggled to find a suitable venue during the busy wedding season.

"Every year we try for this to happen in India, but we don't get the venue given the heavy marriage season. So, we definitely want it to be here this year, given that it would be a smaller auction and hopefully we will get the venue," Dhumal had told PTI.

The December auction is expected to be a smaller event, unlike the mega auction held in Jeddah in November 2024 ahead of the 2025 and 2026 seasons. It will be the final mini-auction of the current cycle, with franchises required to submit their lists of retained and released players by November 15, 2026.

The proposed auction date coincides with India's ODI against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru on December 16. It remains to be seen whether the match date will change.

There have also been reports that the venue for the first ODI, scheduled for December 13 in New Delhi, could be changed. The BCCI, however, recently denied plans to shift the match.

The BCCI is also seeking fresh feedback from IPL franchises on the Impact Player rule, which came up for discussion at a recent Governing Council meeting.

The rule allows teams to introduce a substitute at any stage of a match and is currently set to remain in place until 2027.

It has drawn criticism from several prominent players, including India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, former captain Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel. A major concern is that the rule reduces the role of genuine all-rounders, as teams can bring in specialist batters or bowlers depending on the match situation.

The issue was debated ahead of IPL 2026 as well, when several captains reportedly raised concerns with the BCCI and calls to scrap the rule grew louder.

Dhumal had said the board would consult stakeholders before making a decision on its future.

"The matter is under discussion. Will take feedback from all the stakeholders and then take a call on this," he had said.

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