Australia’s assistant coach Daniel Vettori will leave midway through the first Test against India in Perth to attend the IPL mega auction on November 24-25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The auction coincides with the Perth Test, scheduled from November 22. 

Vettori, also head coach of IPL franchise SunRisers Hyderabad, will oversee Australia’s preparations for the opening Test before departing and rejoining the team for the remainder of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Cricket Australia’s national development coach, Lachlan Stevens, will temporarily replace Vettori during the Perth Test, according to an Australian team spokesperson. Notably, other high-profile coaches, including Ricky Ponting (Punjab Kings) and Justin Langer (Lucknow Super Giants), will also skip their commentary roles for Channel Seven to attend the IPL auction. The overlap highlights the IPL’s influence on global cricket schedules.