Richard is Madley in love with thrilling IPL auction

Dubai: Noted British auctioneer Richard Madley is on his way to Bengaluru to take centre-stage in IPL auctions this weekend. He paid rich tributes to Lalit Modi, widely believed to the brain behind the league.

“The most memorable auction would always be the first in 2008. No one had any idea on what was going to happen that day, including franchisees, players, organisers and the auctioneer. What a brilliant concept by Lalit Modi all those years ago! He has left a real legacy,” Madley added.  

Read: LIVE| Indian Premier League 2018 Player Auction: Latest updates from extravaganza

He said: “Just like the last ten years I'm equally excited by the prospect of conducting the 11th IPL auction. In 2008 I had no idea that this would become a permanent fixture on the world cricket calendar. No one foresaw how big this event would become.”

Read: Indian Premier League 2018 player auction: Live streaming, dates, timings, venue

“This year's auctions will be the biggest yet — with the purse becoming ever higher due to new broadcasting rights. There will be highs and lows — surprises and disappointments — in this auction. In this weekend’s auctions “Right to match” will be an important aspect which will keep me alert throughout,” he added.

Madley, who recently qualified as ECB Level One umpire, sees a lot of similarities between umpiring and conducting the IPL auction.