Istanbul is among the five venues shortlisted to host the IPL auction which is likely to be held on December 16, according to a BCCI official.

Besides the Turkish capital and Bengaluru, the usual venue for the auction, New Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad are also in contention.

But a final call will be taken when the IPL Governing Council, under new chairman Arun Singh Dhumal, meets for the first time soon.

"No final decision has been taken yet but we are looking at Istanbul. We haven't met the teams and their officials in a relaxed environment since COVID, and this way we will be able to do that," the BCCI official told PTI.

"A final decision will be taken after talking to all stakeholders."

Unlike last year, this year's will be a mini auction. The 10 IPL franchises have already been asked to submit their list of retained players by November 15.

Also, the salary cap is likely to be increased from Rs 90 to Rs 95 crore for the next season.