Hugh Edmeades, IPL 2022 auctioneer, collapsed during the auction on Saturday. He was temporarily replaced by sports presenter, Charu Sharma.

Edmeades from United Kingdom was appointed by India’s Board of Control for Cricket to replace Richard Madley in 2018. Since then, he’s become a familiar presence at the players’ auction.

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According to Edmeades’ website, he has handled over 2500 auctions worldwide in his 36-year career. He is an international fine art, classic vehicle, and charity auctioneer who has sold over 3 lakh objects for over 2.7 billion pounds.

Edmeades has handled a variety of objects, including paintings, fine furniture, ceramics and works of art, and cinematic and athletic memorabilia. In 2004, he auctioned off 88 guitars owned by Eric Clapton, generating a total of $7,438,624. Among his other remarkable purchases was Daniel Craig’s Aston Martin DB10 from James Bond’s Spectre in 2016 for £2,434,500.

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In 2005, Edmeades hosted the BBC’s televised celebrity auction to benefit Children in Need, and in 2008, he was the auctioneer at the Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Gala in London. In addition, he has conducted auctions for over 850 charity fundraisers in 30 locations throughout the world.

Meanwhile, with the addition of two new franchises this year, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is likely to grow in size and popularity. Before the action returns to India later this year, all 10 franchises will compete for the best set of players at the major auctions in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.

A total number of 590 players will be auctioned off. There are 370 Indian players and 220 from other countries. Before the franchises begin the bidding battle at the auction table, each player is evaluated. Team owners, strategists, and coaches all work together to find the greatest player at the best price.

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While a lot of individuals, separated into groups, go after the players and place the price tag, the auctioneer is the single master who supervises the entire process. That person is in charge of conducting the auctions in a calm and orderly manner, calmly but forcefully calling out the hundreds of names one after the other.