The Indian Premier League (IPL) auction pioneer Richard Madley recently shared some fascinating anecdotes about his experience as an auctioneer at the major event. He oversaw the first IPL auction on February 20, 2008, and he did so until the 2018 edition.
Before entering the auction, Madley was questioned about his knowledge of the renowned MS Dhoni. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) paid an incredible $1,500,000 (about INR 6 crore) for the services of the game’s most expensive player, the great wicketkeeper-batter, after the bidding began at $400,000 (approximately INR 1.6 crore).
As a cricket fan, Madley claimed in an exclusive interview with that he was well aware of Dhoni’s prominence in the game and that the bizarre demand for the Indian captain at the time didn’t surprise him.
“I knew how important Dhoni was to Indian and international cricket. I’m a big cricket fan, and I keep a careful eye on the game. I therefore knew that he might be the player who put the first IPL auction on the march. Since the auction is set at random, you can’t predict who’s name will be drawn from the velvet bag first on that particular day.
Additionally, I believe Dhoni mentioned players five or six. He probably came out fourth or fifth that day. And ‘ahh’ was heard as his name was called. And we used to use little cricket balls that were stored in velvet bags back then. Additionally, it displayed a player number—his set number—on it. Throughout the conversation, Madley observed, “There was a buzz in the room, and you could tell there was excitement there as well.”
MS Dhoni will participate in his 18th IPL season.
For the 18th straight season, MS Dhoni is scheduled to play in the IPL next year. The resuscitation of a provision that the IPL Governing Council had previously abandoned allowed CSK to retain the 43-year-old for INR 4 crore after he was determined to be an uncapped player.
Also Read: ‘Thought for sure whether Jadeja is overpriced’ – Aakash Chopra opens up on CSK’s retentions ahead of IPL 2025 auction
With a strike rate of 137.54 and an average of 39.13, Dhoni has scored 5,243 runs in 264 IPL games. With great anticipation, fans await the talismanic cricket player’s return to the pitch, possibly for the very last time.
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