IPL's first-ever player to be sold at an auction and it is NOT CSK captain MS Dhoni

The IPL 2020 is all set to commence in the UAE from September 19 and will go on till November 10. The 13th edition of the tournament was originally slated to start on March 29, however, the cash-rich league was indefinitely postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. With the IPL 2020 soon approaching, the franchises are leaving no stone unturned to prepare themselves for the tournament. As the IPL 2020 is set to commence soon, let's take a look at the first-ever player sold in IPL's history.

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Shane Warne was the first player to be sold at IPL 2008 auctions

The announcement of the IPL 2008 sent fans into a frenzy because of it's innovative nature. The cash-rich league helped in revolutionizing cricket in the country and it also gave Indian cricket some of the best talents. MS Dhoni was the highlight of the IPL 2008 auction as he was bought for a whopping price of US$ 1.5 million.

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However, MS Dhoni wasn't the first-ever player to be sold at the inaugural IPL auction. In fact, it was former Australia legendary spinner, Shane Warne, who was the first player brought by any franchise at the IPL 2008 auction. Shane Warne was bought by Rajasthan Royals for a price of USD $450,000 which also happened to be his base price. He was also appointed as the captain of the franchise.

Shane Warne, whose name came up first by auctioneer Richard Madley before Dhoni's record IPL signing, is believed to nearly have gone unsold at the auction. It is rumoured that the reason Warne was bought at his base price of $450,000 by the Royals was because the then IPL commissioner Lalit Modi quietly gave a signal to the team to bid for him. Modi, whose brother-in-law previously co-owned the team, then made the franchise take action at that time, making the Royals the only bidder for Warne, much to the surprise of many although the celebrated leg-spinner had retired in January 2007.

However, Shane Warne repaid the franchise's faith as he led them to their first IPL title win in 2008. Rajasthan Royals were deemed as underdogs going into the tournament. However, Shane Warne's troops defied all odds and went on to defeat Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2008 final to win the coveted title.

Shane Warne was instrumental in their triumph as he bagged 19 wickets in just 15 matches at an exceptional average of 21.26 and economy rate of 7.76. Shane Warne played for Rajasthan Royals till 2011 before calling time on his IPL career. The leg-spinner played 55 matches for Rajasthan Royals and bagged 57 wickets at an average of 25.38 and economy rate of 7.27. Today, Warne continues to be the Royals' brand ambassador and is said to have a 3% stake in the Manoj Badale-owned franchise.

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When will IPL start?

Ever since IPL 2020 was indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fans started wondering 'When will IPL start? To answer the 'When will IPL start' query, the IPL 2020 will start on September 19 and go on till November 10 which was announced in by the BCCI after the Government Council meeting on Sunday. The IPL 2020 dates haven't been announced yet. However, the IPL 2020 dates are soon expected to be announced after BCCI's meeting with the franchises.

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IMAGE COURTESY: IPLT20.COM