The 2024 Indian Premiere League Auction is significant in many ways. Apart from being held for the first time away from home at an international destination, the 16-year-old league has also set another piece of history. For the first time ever, a female auctioneer named Mallika Sagar is handling the gavel. Mallika will be the fourth auctioneer to take the charge of an IPL auction after Richard Madley, Hugh Edmeades and Charu Sharma. In the world of sports, Mallika Sagar needs no introduction. The 48 year old is known for conducting both the 2023 Women’s Premier League auction, earlier this year and the 2024 WPL auction. Prior to her debut in cricket, she was associated with Pro Kabbadi League Auction. Mallika is Mumbai-based Art collector who has a grip over modern and contemporary Indian art. Thus, her experience paves way back to the auction at Mumbai’s renowned Pundole’s Art Galleries. She has almost 25 years of auction experience as she became Christie’s first Indian auctioneer at the age of 26. Mallika holds a degree in art history from Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia. The 2024 IPL auction is taking place in Coca Cola Arena in Dubai where a total 333 players will go under the hammer, out of which 214 are Indians and the rest 119 are from overseas including two players from associate nations.