HYDERABAD: It was past afternoon and Charu Sharma was having lunch with his family on February 12, when the Mega IPL Auction 2022 was taking place in Bengaluru. Just as he was savouring dessert, Sharma got a call from the chairman of IPL, Brijesh Patel.
Sharma thought the reason for the call was to discuss cricket administration, but it turned out to be something else. Patel requested him to fill in for the role of auctioneer Hugh Edmeades who encountered a health emergency during the proceedings. All it took Sharma was 'half a second' to agree, 15 minutes to drive down to ITC Gardenia and another 15 minutes to be briefed about his responsibilities for the remainder of the auction day.
First IPL mega auction
Although Sharma is no stranger to the role of an auctioneer, it was, however, his first IPL Mega Auction. "I knew the auctions were taking place here, but I hadn't tuned in to follow up what was going on. It was a call from Brijesh and I had to respond to an emergency. I was physically available, and auctioneering is a significant part of who I am...So I immediately rushed," says Sharma.
For someone, who was not part of IPL commentary and the auction proceedings, to be able to steer the mega event smoothly, was no easy task even though Sharma has decades of experience in the cricketing business.
"Auctioneering is not complicated, but you need your adrenaline flowing and understand what’s going on," says the 62-year-old, who is the director of the Pro-Kabaddi League. As curtains came down on the auction, netizens were all praises for Sharma for taking charge at the last minute. "It has been heartwarming to receive such messages. The assignment itself was unexpected and so were the reactions," he says.
'Breakup' with top-level cricket commentary
Talking about his 'breakup' with big-time cricket commentary, Sharma says, "I never wanted to move away from that. Only channels can answer as to why I have not done some top-level cricket work in the past few years. I can only say my phone number has not changed."
If he’s not behind the mic, Sharma is mountaineering and trekking. Despite a shoulder tear during his previous trek at Kathmandu, during the Nepal Premier League, he still plans to go trekking in Kumaon, Uttarakhand, in May.
"I am a person of multiple interests. I feel guilty if I am not ambitious. I am now taking up age-appropriate sports like golf and tennis. I am first a sportsman and then a commentator," says Sharma, adding, "By some miracle, if I am called to do some IPL commentary, I might have to readjust my plans."
'Life in a bio bubble a punishment'
Charu Sharma explains that life in a bio bubble is nothing but a 'punishment' during these trying times. Sharma, who was in a bio bubble during the India- Sri Lanka series last year in Sri Lanka, says, "Once I landed at the airport, everything went shut. It's the question of freedom and liberty and the choice to meet some friends who you know when you travel. But that choice is taken away from you."
"You cannot meet people and you cannot eat anywhere you wish because you are in an extremely regulated environment during the COVID circumstances. The loss of personal freedom is not easy to deal with and after a while, it can really get annoying," Charu adds.
"However, the anti-dote to it is the fact that you are still getting to do what you love and are keeping your livelihood going. The continuation of sports under the current circumstances makes for a good balance between work and health. But we all know the pandemic is going to be a temporary situation," he says.
Different strokes
Sharma quit his corporate job in the mid-'80s to take up a commentator's role for Doordarshan in Kolkata for the 1982 Asian Games. "I had a regular corporate job going, until some of my friends nudged me to audition for the commentary on DD. Back then I had felt being a TV commentator was not something I wanted to do for a living. But anyway, I got pushed into it. And my salary as a commentator was Rs 200 for a day’s work," says Sharma, who was a professional diver and has also dabbled in many sports, including athletics, swimming, water polo, gymnastics, tennis, golf and also cricket.