IPL Auction 2024: Mallika Sagar to replace Hugh Edmeades as auctioneer

Mallika Sagar will conduct the IPL 2024 auction in Dubai on Tuesday. IPL auction will held outside India for the first time. To mark this occasion, there is also going to be a change in the host for the auction process. Instead of Hughes Edmeades, Mallika Sagar will host the mega event.

It is the first time in the IPL’s 16-year history that a lady auctioneer will conduct which player goes where at an IPL auction. Richard Madley, Charu Sharma and Hugh Edmeades have been the gravel bangers at previous IPL auctions. It must be pointed out that Charu Sharma had stepped in briefly when Edmeades had been taken ill mid-way into an auction.

According to a report by Sportstar, multiple sources in the BCCI have revealed that they have informed Hugh Edmeades that his services would not be required for the upcoming auctions.

Mallika Sagar has been part of auctions for other sports like Pro Kabaddi League where she was the first lady auctioneer for PKL. She was also the gavel master for the inaugural auction of the WPL as well.

Mallika Sagar is a Mumbai-based art expert on contemporary Indian art and works with Art India. She started her career at famed auction house Chrisyie’s in 2001.

Following the 2023 WPL Auction, she earned applause from Royal Challengers Bangalore and Dinesh Karthik for her poise.

Bold, Confident and Well Prepared! We thank Mallika Sagar for conducting the #WPLAuction with such grace and style.#PlayBold #WPL2023 pic.twitter.com/dgjdZXvN0E

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) February 14, 2023

“Bold, Confident and Well Prepared! We thank Mallika Sagar for conducting the #WPLAuction with such grace and style. #PlayBold #WPL2023,” Royal Challengers Bangalore had posted on X, formerly Twitter.

A total of 333 players will be in the auction pool who will be eyeing a spot with 77 slots to be filled across all the franchises. Several international stars have made themselves available with the T20 World Cup jointly hosted by the West Indies and the United States of America coming up after the 2024 IPL season.