Bengaluru: Sony Six today announced that it will broadcast the Pepsi IPL 2015 Player Auction live when some big names such as Hashim Amla and Yuvraj Singh goes under the hammer here on 16th February.
The bidding process will serve as the prelude to the year’s most anticipated sporting extravaganza, the Pepsi IPL 2015 which will get underway on 8th April.
The player auction will be broadcast live on both SONY SIX SD and HD on Monday, 9:30 am onwards. Ahead of the auction, a total of 122 cricketers including 78 Indians and 44 overseas players have been retained by the franchises for the 2015 season, while six Indian cricketers have been traded during the window for player trade this year.
One of the biggest names to hit the auction table this year is 2014’s most expensive player Yuvraj Singh, who was bought for Rs. 14 crore at the event last year.
The other marquee players that will be auctioned, apart from Singh, include the Delhi Daredevils captain Kevin Pietersen and the team’s costliest player last year, Dinesh Karthik.
Other top flight players who will be up for auction this year include Hashim Amla, Mahela Jayawardene, Eoin Morgan, Kumar Sangakkara, Murali Vijay, Darren Sammy, Angelo Mathews, Aaron Finch and Alex Hales.
Prasana Krishnan, Business Head, Sony Six, said: “This year too, we are pleased to bring back the Pepsi IPL 2015 Player Auction live and exclusive to our eager audiences.
“With intriguing rounds of bidding, coupled with high quality and in-depth perspectives from our panelists, we are aiming to keep the audience enthralled throughout the event.”
The auction will be conducted by Richard Madley, a professional auctioneer from England who has been conducting the player auctions since the inaugural season in 2008. Sameer Kochhar and cricket expert Aakash Chopra will be seen sharing their insights on player and team strategies.
This year, the franchises have a salary purse of Rs.63 crore each for the eighth season, a 5 per cent increase over last season’s purse.
