The distinguished auctioneer Hugh Edmeades will not oversee the IPL 2023 auction on December 19 in Dubai. He has presided over every IPL auction since 2018, succeeding Richard Madley. As per Sportstar, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has notified its decision not to engage him this year.
During the initial day of the IPL 2022 mega auction held at the ITC Gardenia hotel in Bengaluru, Edmeades experienced a collapse on stage while auctioning Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga. Following the incident, he received immediate medical attention, and veteran broadcaster Charu Sharma took over the auction proceedings.
Edmeades, who collapsed during the IPL 2022 auction due to postural hypotension, won’t host the IPL 2023 auction; Sharma took over in 2022, and Edmeades returned for the final phase and IPL 2023.
“My fall came totally out of the blue in Bengaluru,” he said ahead of the latter event in December last year. “In 2,700 auctions I have never fallen off the stage in my life. I am fine now, no recurrence. I think I was just physically unprepared.”
“Not enough sleep, not enough food. I think I just ran out of gas. I felt it coming on and I thought I would have a break after I have sold Hasaranga but the next thing I knew I was being picked off the floor. That was unexpected. Touching wood, I am very fit, thank you.”
The 63-year-old auctioneer Hugh Edmeades, who joined the IPL in 2018, has since worked independently, leveraging his experience from various auction houses.
Mallika Sagar is under consideration as a potential replacement for Hugh Edmeades in the IPL 2024 auction
The BCCI is considering Mallika Sagar, the auctioneer for the Women’s Premier League (WPL), as a potential replacement for Hugh Edmeades in the IPL 2024 auction.
Sagar, an art history major, made history as the first Indian-origin woman auctioneer at Christie’s. In addition to her role in the WPL, she hosted the Pro Kabaddi League auction in 2021, becoming the first woman auctioneer in the league.
A total of 1166 players have enlisted for the IPL 2024 auction, with 830 being Indian players and the remaining 336 hailing from overseas. The available slots in the 10 franchises include 30 for overseas players and 47 for Indian players.
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