3 best Charu Sharma moments from the IPL 2022 Auction
Charu Sharma was one of the chief protagonists of the IPL 2022 Auction in Bengaluru. He was summoned at short notice to take over the auctioneer's role after Hugh Edmeades suffered a medical emergency.
Edmeades suffered a fall after taking ill on the first afternoon, right in the middle of some groundbreaking bid for Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga. Proceedings were halted as Edmeades was immediately rushed to hospital with lunch being taken at the time.
SOS call for Charu Sharma to conduct the IPL 2022 Auction
IPL chairman Brijesh Patel then rang up well-known commentator and anchor Charu Sharma to step in at short notice. Charu is a resident of Bengaluru and rushed to the venue quickly to take over from Edmeades.
Charu, an extremely popular face in the Indian sporting fraternity, has been receiving accolades for the manner in which he seamlessly stepped in. Carrying out the auction without any hassle, he ensured that all the hard work that had gone into putting the event together was not undone.
Here, we take a look at the three best moments involving Charu Sharma at the IPL 2022 Auction:
#3 "You need a minute? We'll certainly give you that!" - Charu Sharma leaves everyone in splits
One of the most amusing moments of the IPL 2022 Auction came right after Charu Sharma took charge.
With Wanindu Hasaranga's bid standing at ₹10.75 crore in favor of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Punjab Kings (PBKS) were in the midst of a contemplation when Hugh Edmeades suffered the unfortunate mishap.
Resuming an hour-and-a-half later, Charu asked the PBKS hiearchy if they had arrived at a decision. With PBKS asking for some time, Charu joked:
"You need a minute? We'll certainly give you that. I'm so sorry you didn't have enough time (laughs)."
This sent the entire auction hall into a fit of laughter, before Charu added:
"Just kidding."
This was a sign of many a light moment to come from Charu's end over the rest of the auction's proceedings. There was never a dull moment, despite the long process clearly tiring all, as Charu's instant wit and humor kept the spirits high right through the IPL 2022 Auction.
#2 "Maybe I'll use a bail" - Charu Sharma's impromptu adjustment
"By the way, where's my hammer? We'll figure it out. I must get one, maybe I'll use a bail. We'll see."
These were among the moments that summed up Charu Sharma's skill and wisdom in being able to adapt on the go at the IPL 2022 Auction. Despite being rushed to the event from his residence, he seemed completely prepared and at ease with how the proceedings had to unfold.
Of course, it was down to his experience and expertise but the aforementioned quote from the man came at a time when the gavel wasn't to be found. Instead, the bail that had Wanindu Hasaranga's name written on it was used as a stop-gap measure before the hammer was retrieved.
That wasn't all though - Charu also picked up the change in increments on every bid rather quickly and kept it seamless for pretty much the entirety of the auction. The moment he used the bail to close the bid first up was just a sign of how ready he was for the whole process despite the palpable tension out there.
#1 When Charu Sharma re-welcomed Hugh Edmeades on Day 2
This moment 📸📸 - A fitting wrap to the 2022 #TATAIPLAuction 🤜🤛 https://t.co/kxImZVdRms
This moment will go down as one of, if not the best moments, in all IPL auction history. Towards the business end of the event, a hale and healthy Hugh Edmeades was welcomed onto the dais again to complete what he started.
Charu Sharma provided timely updates about Edmeades' health ever since stepping into the role on the first day of the IPL 2022 Auction. He then threw up a surprise towards the end of the second day when he welcomed Edmeades to take over for the final bit of bidding.
Edmeades was greeted with a standing ovation, an equal amount of which was given to Charu Sharma for his professionalism throughout the IPL 2022 Auction. The dramatic event couldn't have asked for a more memorable and fitting end.