[In Pictures] Auction sheet and hammer from first-ever IPL in 2008 go viral
The IPL 2024 auction is going to take place on Tuesday (December 19) at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. Ahead of the event, pictures of the auction sheet and hammer from the inaugural edition of IPL 2008 have been going viral online. IPL fans are experiencing nostalgia after noticing them.
Richard Madley, who has been the auctioneer for IPL on multiple occasions, took to his X handle to share a nostalgic picture. It comprised the hammers he used for the player auction in different editions.
Apart from him, Hugh Edmeades and Charu Sharma have also been IPL auctioneers in the past. However, for the first time in history, a female auctioneer, Mallika Sagar, will oversee the proceedings this time around.
Along with the picture of hammers, a list with six marquee players from the IPL 2008 auction is also gaining popularity on social media platforms. Elite players like Shane Warne, MS Dhoni, Adam Gilchrist, Shoaib Akhtar, Mahela Jayawardene, and Muttiah Muralitharan were present in the list along with their prices.
You can watch them below:
MS Dhoni set to lead CSK in IPL 2024
After being picked up by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the inaugural IPL 2008 auction, MS Dhoni has etched his name in history. He has won five trophies, a feat only equaled by Rohit Sharma.
The 42-year-old wicket-keeper batter was retained by the yellow franchise last month and is all set to lead the franchise in the coming season.
Meanwhile, former Indian batter Aakash Chopra analyzed CSK's squad ahead of the upcoming auction in a video shared on his YouTube channel. He lauded Dhoni's ability to get the best out of players, saying:
"What makes Chennai special? It's a very simple thing. They have a magician named MS Dhoni - a calculator, a computer. He is a calculator or a computer because he buys the right players at the right price."
He added:
"He is someone who gets the best out of people. Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube - there are so many examples of players who went to different places and their performances were decent but as soon as they came here, they became match-winning players."
Do you agree with Aakash Chopra's views above? Let us know in the comments section below.