Would be surprised if the 20 crore barrier is not broken this year, says Auctioneer Hugh Edmeades
Indian T20 League auctioneer Hugh Edmeades has said that he would be surprised if a player is not bought for 20 crores in this mega auction. The highest bid for a player to acquire his services was 16.25 crores for Chris Morris. Former South Africa all-rounder was bought by Rajasthan last year. The teams have retained a maximum of four players and a minimum of two players.
Meanwhile, Edmeades said that each franchise was given an increased purse of 90 crores and given the increase in demand, players are likely to fetch a lot more.
“With each franchise being given an increased purse of Rs 90 crore, it is likely that individual prices will also increase. I don’t have a specific figure in mind, but I would be surprised if the Rs 20 crore barrier is not broken this year,” said Edmeades in a chat with InsideSport.
The veteran auctioneer also said that he is not fazed by the prospect of the standing for up to six hours. The man from Britain has conducted over 2500 auctions in his nearly four-decade career as an auctioneer.
“During my 38 years as an auctioneer, I have taken plenty of two-day auctions, but admittedly, none lasting a potential 12+ hours. However, I am not at all fazed by the prospect of being on my feet for up to six hours each day. Mentally and physically, I will be splitting the sessions into “bite-size pieces” and taking the opportunities to regroup during the breaks in the auction,” concluded Hugh Edmeades.