Most famously, Richard Madley is known as the first auctioneer of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Recently, he spoke candidly about his memorable experiences at the event. Madley, who headed the IPL auctions from its onset in 2008 until 2018, has given some very fascinating insights to his role and also into the electrifying moments he has witnessed.
Speaking to CricTracker, Madley was asked if he knew a MS Dhoni before entering the auction room. Dhoni was already an iconic figure in cricket when he became the costliest man in the first-ever IPL auction for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at a whopping $1.5 million, equivalent to roughly INR 6 crore.
Speaking about the memory, Madley said he knew the popularity and stature of Dhoni and that he was not surprised by the fierce bids and how the Indian captain shot up the price ladder.
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“I was very conscious of Dhoni’s stature in Indian and world cricket. As a cricket enthusiast, I kept up with the game closely and knew that he was likely to be the one who would get things rolling on the first day of IPL auction. Well, it was a lottery from a velvet bag that decided the order in which players were going to come one by one. So when the fourth or fifth one came out as Dhoni, it was a buzz in the hall. It was an electric atmosphere, and nobody had seen anything like this,” Madley remembered.
He further added that in 2008, the auction had drawn player numbers out of the velvet bag by using small cricket balls. That was very unique and different from others. MS Dhoni, now 43 years old, is set to gear up for his 18th season of IPL in 2024. Retained by CSK for INR 4 crore under the reinstated uncapped player rule, this legendary captain will be soon found leading his side.
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MS Dhoni has played 264 IPL matches in his career and displayed 5,243 runs at an impressive average of 39.13 and strike rate of 137.54. Fans eagerly await what might be Dhoni’s swan song, as the talisman prepares to grace the IPL stage one last time, continuing his unparalleled legacy in cricket.
