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Hugh Edmeades, the former Indian Premier League (IPL) auctioneer, speculated on the potential bid for Virat Kohli if he were ever to enter the auction. Edmeades suggested that the star player from the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) would likely command a price exceeding INR 30 crore.
Virat Kohli has never been part of the auction process. He was initially acquired by RCB during the U19 draft for the inaugural IPL season. Kohli, who had captained the India U19 team to victory in the 2008 World Cup, was selected by RCB after making a significant impression as a leader and performer.
At the time, Kohli was secured for a sum of USD 30,000. Despite a less-than-stellar debut season where he amassed just 165 runs in 13 matches at an average of 15, with a strike rate of 105.09 and a highest score of 39, RCB chose to retain him.
This decision has proven to be a masterstroke. Kohli has since become one of the most prominent figures in cricket, maintaining his status as a leading batsman across all formats and in the IPL, reflecting the franchise’s long-term vision and faith in his potential.
Hugh Edmeades forecasts the price Virat Kohli could command if he enters the auction.
In a discussion with Arvind Krishnan for CricBlog, former IPL Auctioneer Hugh Edmeades was asked about the potential auction price for Virat Kohli. Edmeades remarked that if Kohli were to ever enter the IPL auction, it would be a remarkable event, and he would likely command a bid exceeding INR 30 crores.
“Without being flippant – how long is a ball of string? It would be the most amazing honour to offer Virat in an auction. As to the price, I imagine he would achieve in excess of 3,000 lakh.”
Virat Kohli stands as the highest run-scorer in IPL history, having been the first player to reach 8,000 runs. As of now, he has accumulated 8,004 runs at an impressive average of 38.67 and a strike rate of 131.97, including 7 centuries and 55 half-centuries.
In addition, Hugh Edmeades shared insights into his auction strategy that he found noteworthy. He emphasized that his primary goal was to ensure that no bids went unnoticed during the process.
“No, nothing obvious anyway – but then, I am concentrating too hard on making sure that I don’t miss any bids and ensuring fair play to all the franchises in allowing them enough time to make up their minds as to whether they want to continue with the bidding or indeed to enter the bidding at the very end.”
Hugh Edmeades also discussed the thrilling nature of each auction, noting that they often spark intense bidding wars. He highlighted the example of Varun Chakaravarthy to illustrate this point.
“It is always gratifying when a young Indian player attracts a bidding war. One such player was Varun Chakaravarthy in the 2019 auction. His base price was 20 lakh and he was finally bought for 840 lakh,” he concluded.
