The much anticipated T20 competition consisting of retired players will be played between November 18 and December 9. Five Indian cities – Ranchi, Dehradun, Jammu, Vizag and Surat – will host 19 epic clashes. 200 cricketers from 12 different nations will go under the hammer during the upcoming auction.

Martin Guptill, who forgoed his New Zealand national contract earlier, will participate in the bid for the first time. The Australian duo of Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh are among other debutants in the franchise-based league. Retired T20 globetrotters like Kevin Pietersen, Nuwan Kulasekara, Morne Morkel and Xavier Doherty will also take part in the draft.

The retention guidelines state that each team can retain up to three players. Also, the two new teams can acquire a maximum of three names from the players’ pool. The last rule states that if a team retains fewer than three players, they can fill their quota from the pool after the new sides have acquired their players.

Four participating teams – India Capitals, Bhilwara Kings, Gujarat Giants and Manipal Tigers – have revealed their list of retained players ahead of the auction. Current title holders India Capitals have held back skipper Gautam Gambhir, along with Ashley Nurse and wrist-spinner Pravin Tambe, the highest wicket-taker of the last season. Meanwhile, Bhilwara Kings, the runners-up of the 2022 edition, have retained their captain, Irfan Pathan, along with star players like Yusuf Pathan and Shane Watson. The two new franchises will reveal their pre-signings prior to the auction.

List of retained players | LLC 2023

India Capitals: Gautam Gambhir, Pravin Tambe and Ashley Nurse
Bhilwara Kings: Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan and Shane Watson
Manipal Tigers: Harbhajan Singh, Mohammad Kaif and Corey Anderson
Gujarat Giants: Chris Gayle, Parthiv Patel and Kevin O’Brien