The auction process for the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) will take place in Abu Dhabi on 16 December. There was a mega auction for the last edition, which lasted for 2 days and this time there will be a 1 day mini auction. However, former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa wants that the auction should not take place at all. He also feels that the league should last for about 6 months, which currently runs for about two and a half months.

Robin Uthappa wants that after ending the IPL player auction, there should be a draft system and keeping the trade window open throughout the year. He wants that the league should last for 6 months, in between which an international series should also take place.

What did Robin Uthappa say

Robin Uthappa, who was a part of the IPL-winning teams of Kolkata Knight Riders (2014) and Chennai Super Kings (2021), said on his YouTube channel, “They are not taking it beyond the start-up stage and it is surprising. You are the biggest cricket league in the world. Now you have matured. Just keep it going.”

Uthappa further said, “Stop the auction and keep the trade window open throughout the year. Draft and end the auction. To be honest, end the auction. I used to say that even when I was playing.”

IPL should be a 6 month league- Uthappa

He further said, “They are not moving forward with an entertainment mindset for TV. Even a draft can be great TV. You will engage your fans and build fan loyalty. Just start it. I think IPL should be like a 6-month league. You can keep international matches in between. It has to be developed.”

Uthappa’s IPL career

Robin Uthappa, who has played 59 international matches for India, has been playing IPL since the first edition, he made his debut for Mumbai Indians and played the last edition for Chennai Super Kings in 2022. Uthappa played a total of 205 matches in IPL, in which he scored 4952 runs at a strike rate of 130.35.

Robin Uthappa, who shared the dressing room in the Indian cricket team with Virat Kohli, made a big disclosure in a podcast. He told how inadvertently there was a rift between him and Kohli. Let us know that both have also played many matches against each other in IPL. Actually, in an interview, Uthappa raised questions about Kohli’s captaincy. He criticized not to include Ambati Rayudu in the 2019 World Cup.

Under the captaincy of Virat Kohli, the Indian cricket team reached the semi -finals in the 2019 World Cup, where he was out after losing to New Zealand. Prior to the 2019 World Cup, Ambati Rayudu was considered a strong contender for the fourth number, whose performance was continuously. However, the selectors did not choose him and replaced Vijay Shankar in his place. In that podcast, Uthappa also criticized Kohli’s captaincy for not recovering Yuvraj Singh with Ambati Rayudu, who (Yuvraj) later took retirement without playing a Farewell match.

I should have spoken to Virat Kohli first- Uthappa

Now Robin Uthappa said on YouTube channel that the objective of that conversation was on him and not Virat Kohli. He said that despite this, his comments created a rift in the relationship with Virat Kohli.

Uthappa said, “In that whole conversation I was not intended to talk about Virat Kohli, but that interview was about me. I was asked a question and I just answered him. I did not pay attention to Virat’s feelings or this fact at that time, no matter what I believe, they should know what I believe. I realized that I should have talked to them before. “

Uthappa admitted that of course he had the right to speak, but later he also realized that he should have told Virat Kohli first. He said that this gave him a great learning.

Robin Uthappa said, “I did not talk about my experience with Virat Kohli. I talked about what I saw under the leadership of my close friend Kohli. It was not even his leadership but a leadership style. Everyone had the right to keep their leadership style, and everyone also has the right to have their opinion. I felt that I thought about him before he had to talk about them. That we should show this sensitivity towards cricketers or people associated with it. “