Charu Sharma had guests at home and he had not even tuned in to the television set when he got a call from Brijesh Patel on Saturday (February 12) afternoon.
Celebrated sports commentator and quizmaster Charu Sharma came to BCCI’s rescue and pulled off a spectacular job after taking over as the auctioneer on Day 1 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 auction on Saturday in Bengaluru. Charu Sharma, who has been a commentator for multiple sports in the past, replaced auctioneer Hugh Edmeades, who collapsed midway during the first session of the mega auction.
Charu Sharma Opens Up On Replacing Hugh Edmeades As IPL Auctioneer In 1st Day Of IPL 2022 Mega Auctions
Charu Sharma deserves to be applauded for stepping in at the last minute and conducting a smooth auction.
“Put on your shoes and come here,” the chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL) mentioned on the phone. “There is an emergency.”
Charu Sharma did not know the reason for his call-up but agreed to rush there. There were speculations that he got stuck in the Bangalore traffic. He smiled it away.
“I live next door, not very far from the hotel,” he recalled.
“When I reached, I was told what had happened to Hugh Edmeades – the original IPL auctioneer from England, who fell off the dais due to Postural Hypotension. I said ‘fine, let’s do it. We had a 15-minute session. I inquired about what all had been conducted and what was left to do. The IPL officials then asked me if the break should be extended. I said ‘don’t’. I had some fun.”
“Yes, fun. It is a profession that is not alien to me. It was just another day with the hammer. The difference was, maybe, more people were watching and following it. Professional job is a professional job, two people involved or two million or two billion and whether it is a Rs 2 auction or a Rs 1 billion auction.”
Amid all the intense bidding war, there was a moment of shock spread across the auction room when auctioneer Hugh Edmeades collapsed in the middle of the bidding process for Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga. The medical team attended to him immediately after the incident & he is now stable.
Charu Sharma Had Conducted Auctions Earlier But Admitted IPL Auction Is Different
Charu Sharma has conducted auctions for sports leagues as well as artefacts before. He conducts auctions for Bid and Hammer, an arts gallery, in Bangalore.
“Yes, so many. I did it for many smaller leagues. I have designed, conceptualised and conducted many leagues,” he observed. “The skill is the same but object is different.”
He, however, conceded that the IPL auction is different.
“It is a very big global kind of thing. So many people’s lives are made. One does feel sorry for those who have not made it. That is life. I was so sorry for Sandeep Lamichhane, the player from neighbour Nepal (when he was unsold).”
“But I think the IPL auction is well beyond all of those involved in it. It is eventually about the players. You feel very happy when players get large sums of money to showcase their talent. That is the overwhelming memory that people are absorbed by teams. Eventually it’s all about the game inside the ropes, isn’t it?”
He was happy that he could be of help to the IPL committee. People inside the auction room and BCCI officials had good words for him.
“It is a terrible thing to say but I will say it anyway. My life is all about sports. It was nice to be able to be of service to sport, essentially.”
Charu Sharma did not have an opportunity to meet Hugh Edmeades.
“He was in hospital. I wish him well.”
It was a frenetic opening day of the IPL 2022 mega auction as 74 players, including 20 overseas stars, were sold with the 10 franchises spending Rs 388.10 crore between them. Delhi Capitals bought the number of players, taking their overall tally to 13, whereas Mumbai Indians were the least active, managing to buy only 4 players. Charu Sharma continued on Day 2 of the auction as well.