The auction for the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League had been scheduled to occur on December 19 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. A total of 333 players, comprising 214 Indian players and 119 overseas players, will vie for a maximum of 77 slots.
Who is Mallika Sagar?
In a groundbreaking move for the IPL, a female auctioneer is set to wield the gavel for the Dubai auction. Mallika Sagar, who previously presided over the Women’s Premier League auction, will replace Hugh Edmeades, as confirmed by sources to Sportstar.
Mallika Sagar’s education and career
The BCCI informed Edmeades that his services would not be required for this edition. Mallika, who conducted the WPL auction consecutively, pursued her art history major at Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia and commenced her career at Christie’s in 2001, becoming the auction house’s first Indian woman auctioneer.
Having garnered praise for her WPL auctioneering skills, Mallika’s inclusion marks a significant shift from Hugh Edmeades, who served as the IPL auctioneer since 2018. The 2024 auction was scheduled to commence at 1 pm IST on December 19 and it was broadcasted on Star Sports for TV viewers and the Jio Cinema app for others.
Beyond the historic inclusion of a female auctioneer, this IPL edition presents another first by being conducted outside India. An IPL official cited the wedding season and potential hotel availability issues as reasons for choosing Dubai as the hosting venue.
About IPL and the players
A pool of 333 players is poised to enter the auction, vying for 77 available slots across all franchises. With the T20 World Cup jointly hosted by the West Indies and the United States of America on the horizon after the 2024 IPL season, numerous international stars have thrown their names into the mix.
Notable figures among the foreign players include the Australian captain, Pat Cummins, who previously played for the Kolkata Knight Riders. Another prominent returnee is Mitchell Starc, last seen with the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Among the batsmen, Travis Head emerges as a significant prospect following his standout performance in the World Cup 2023 finals against India in Ahmedabad. Head’s century played a pivotal role in leading Australia to their first World Cup title since 2015.
Why did the IPL auction happen in Dubai?
This is the first time the auction for Indian Premier League was conducted overseas. “Due to the wedding season, hotel availability can be an issue. That is why we decided to host it in Dubai,” said an IPL official.