Auctioneer Hugh Edmeades, who faced a health scare on Saturday while conducting the auction for the Indian Premier Legaue (IPL), came back for the final hour of auction on Sunday.
Edmeades received a standing ovation from the officials of the 10 IPL franchises and others present in the room.
Edmeades, a veteran of over 2,700 auctions across the globe, had collapsed inside the auction room on Saturday while conducting bidding for Sri Lankan leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga.
He was immediately given medical attention and it emerged that he had collapsed due to "postural hypotension" (a case of low BP). The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had summoned 62-year-old veteran TV presenter Charu Sharma to fill in for Edmeades.
Sharma received lots of praises for filling in for Edmeades and doing a commendable job.
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Before the final hour, Sharma handed the auction gavel back to its rightful owner Edmeades, who strode in nattily dressed in sharp suit as all teams stood up in admiration.
Edmeades thanked Sharma, who also got his round of applause, before he jokingly said that the BCCI would do well to put a fence on the podium, which would have probably stopped him from falling down.
Earlier, the BCCI had posted a message from Edmeades, who had apologised for his absence due to the health scare.
"I am sorry that I can't be in person with you today. As you can see, I'm absolutely fine but I wasn't going to be able to give 100 per cent performance today, which will be unfair to the BCCI, the IPL, the bidders and most importantly the players. I just want to thank people all around the world who have sent me good wishes," Edmeades said in a video uploaded by the BCCI.
"I am also thankful for Charu (Sharma) to step on such short notice to take over the batting. The show must go on. I hope to see you later on but in the meantime it's good luck to you for the bidding today," he added.
(With PTI inputs)
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