Who is Mallika Sagar - Introducing Women's T20 League 2023 Auctioneer

Mallika Sagar to conduct Women's T20 League Auction (Source: Twitter)

Indian Women's cricket will take a monumental step on 13 February, Monday as the first-ever Women's T20 League Auction takes place in Mumbai. The auction will help Women's franchise Cricket in India get closer to materialization. As such, the Indian Cricket Board has taken another sensible decision by giving the responsibility of conducting the auction to the first women auctioneer of Indian origin, Mallika Sagar.

Mallika Sagar is an Art collector from Mumbai, known for her experience of conducting auctions with Pundoles, an Art Gallery in Mumbai. She is all set to take over the hammer for the first-ever Women's T20 League players auction. Notably, she conducted the players' auction for the Pro Kabaddi League in 2021.

"I'm very honoured to be asked and very proud to be doing it. Hopefully, it would be a beginning of a very good relationship," Mallika said.

Mallika Sagar took advice from the Indian T20 League players auctioneer, Hugh Edmeades

Mallika says she has seen several videos of the Indian T20 League players auctioneer, Hugh Edmeades. The two auctioneers were in correspondence over e-mail, recently.

"Hugh was very kind and sent me a very nice e-mail to say if I ever needed help, I can always reach out to him. I did watch the previous videos, and those were immensely helpful. Because the process is obviously very different from an art auction. So, I definitely relied on Hugh's expertise and experience from previous years to figure out what best to do," Mallika said.

While being asked about the importance this event would hold, Mallika added,

"Very Proud. I'm delighted for the cricketers who will be part of the auctions. I think it's a historic moment for women's cricket. The Indian women cricketers will get their due on the international stage. They will have the ability to play at the highest level. We have seen what the men's IPL has done when it started and the trickle-down effect that it had. I'm hoping the same for the women's cricketers as well."

"We have so much talent around the country, not just in big cities but in smaller cities as well. I'm really hoping that it changes the perception of how being a sportsperson can actually be a profession in the country. It gives the young girls the courage to go to their mothers and fathers and say I want to be a cricket player and follow my dreams. I think it's history in making," she exclaimed.