IPL

Dhoni sold to Chennai Super Kings: IPL's first auctioneer Richard Madley pulls one from the memory vault

CSK had, at the time, rolled out a mindboggling US$1.5 million, to grab India's World Twenty20-winning captain.

Team Sportstar Team Sportstar
12 May, 2019 14:59 IST

Back then, only two teams were in the fray by the time the bids crossed the US$900,000 mark: Chennai and Mumbai, the IPL 2019 finalists and the two most successful sides in the history of the tournament.   -  K. PICHUMANI

Team Sportstar Team Sportstar
12 May, 2019 14:59 IST

Richard Madley, who oversaw the Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions in 2008, on Sunday shared a snapshot of his auction gavel and first pen to paper marking of M.S. Dhoni being sold to the Chennai Super Kings.

The franchise had, at the time, rolled out a mindboggling US$1.5 million, to grab India's World Twenty20-winning captain.

 

Back then, only two teams were in the fray by the time the bids crossed the US$900,000 mark: Chennai and Mumbai, the IPL 2019 finalists and the two most successful sides in the history of the tournament. But eventually it was CSK which came out on top.

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Madley, who had conducted the IPL auctions for the last 11 years, was "hurt" with the way he was ignored for last year's event.  “I confirmed my availability and all I got was a two-line email saying, ‘Your services are not required. We have chosen a replacement auctioneer.’ There was no explanation. I wonder what did I do wrong? What was my fault? I have maintained transparency and I expect the same treatment from them?”, Madley had told this publication.