Richard Madley’s voice is synonymous with the IPL auction and as the IPL 2022 mega auction is approaching, it is fair to reflect on how the very first auction fared way back in 2008. Richard Madley has opened up on how it was like to get associated with the tournament back in the day.
Richard Madley took charge of the IPL auctions every season from the inception of the league till 2018. From the 2019 season onwards, he was replaced by Hugh Edmeadas. In an interaction, the ex-auctioneer opened up on his thoughts about the IPL, bidding wars for players, and what he made of MS Dhoni being picked up by CSK way back in 2008.
Richard Madley: No One Thought MS Dhoni Would Be Sold For USD 1.5 Million
Richard Madley recalled the first-ever bidding war he witnessed in an IPL 2008 auction when former Indian skipper MS Dhoni was roped in by CSK.
“When I was first approached to advise on the formatting of the inaugural Player Auction in February 2008, I was providing technical advice on auction law – including the rules and regulations. I had always wanted to visit India but never had the opportunity to do so. Being invited to conduct that first auction gave me the opportunity to see firsthand the passion shown for cricket,” Madley said.
Richard Madley recalled how he was surprised when Australian great spinner Shane Warne, the second player from the bag, was acquired by Rajasthan Royals at his base price. Richard Madley hailed the decision as to the “smartest move” of that auction as the Rajasthan Royals had scripted a stunning title victory in IPL 2008 under Shane Warne.
“No one had any idea that in the ballroom of The Oberoi Hilton, Mumbai on February 20th, 2008 that the world of cricket would change forever. The atmosphere was electric in the auction room that day as player after player came under my hammer. No one thought of recording me selling MS Dhoni for USD 1.5 million,” he added.
MS Dhoni was roped in by CSK for USD 1.5 million. Among other franchises, Mumbai Indians were among the ones who were part of the bidding war. But Chennai Super Kings owner N Srinivasan had a plan chalked out, a mathematical rather, that gave him the edge.
Madley said, “The auction actually started steadily -with Shoaib Akhtar selling to Kolkata and Shane Warne to Jaipur for his base price of USD 450,000. And then out of the bag came a small cricket ball -with the name MS Dhoni- with a base price of USD 400,000 -sparking a bidding war until my hammer dropped at USD 1.5 million to Chennai. The IPL Auction had taken off.”
“The IPL has caught the imagination of the cricket world from Lords to Sydney -and of course throughout India. It’s action-packed, skilful, exciting, tactical, fast-paced, and fun. It has been running for 14 years and has grown massively. It would now need to expand globally if it is to maintain those growth patterns,” he added.
77 players signed up for the first IPL 2008 auction on 20th February including 48 foreign players. 75 players were auctioned with Mohammed Yousuf and Ashwell Prince remaining unsold. MS Dhoni was the costliest player. Andrew Symonds was the most costly foreign player.
The second IPL 2008 auction for foreign players took place in Mumbai on 11 March 2008. 26 players including unsold players from auction-1 signed up for the auction. 14 players were sold in the auction. James Hopes was the costliest player. Mohammed Yousuf again remained unsold in 2nd auction due to continuing dispute with Indian Cricket League (ICL).
Richard Madley Recalls Mumbai Indians Successfully Bid For Kieron Pollard After A 4 Way Battle In 2010
When asked about the one bidding war that stood out the most in the IPL auction, Richard Madley spoke about how Kieron Pollard captured the imagination of four franchises way back in 2010.
“In every auction, there has been one player who has attracted the attention of the whole room. The most extraordinary bidding scenario we ever had was in 2010 when we had a four-way battle between Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Kolkata Knight Riders for Kieron Pollard.”
“Each franchise was then invited to make a secret sealed bid for the player over and above the USD 750k mark. History will tell you that MI were the successful bidders which must go down as one of the strategically successful bids of all time – underlying Mumbai’s determination to secure their talisman,” said Richard Madley.
The mega auction for the IPL 2022 season will be held on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru. A total of 590 cricketers will go under the hammer. Amongst 590 players who have registered for the auction, 228 are capped players, 355 are uncapped players and 7 belong to Associate Nations.