Who is Mallika Sagar? The IPL 2026 Auction Stage: The Journey Of The Auctioneer

Next Tuesday, December 16, when the IPL 2026 auction begins, Mallika Sagar will once again lead the proceedings with her calm voice and calm presence. For cricket fans and team officials, she is now an integral part of the IPL auction. While she appears confident and assertive, her journey to this role has been quite unique and inspiring.

Sagar studied in various places from Mumbai to Connecticut. She later completed her studies in art history at Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia. In 2001, she began her career at Sotheby’s in London, where she learned a lot about Indian and South Asian art. Success came to her quickly. At just 26, she became the first Indian female auctioneer at Christie’s in New York. She focused on modern and contemporary Indian art, and this remarkable achievement helped her gain recognition worldwide.

Mallika Sagar: Sports Journey

Her journey into sports auctions also began in 2021, when she became the first female auctioneer in the Pro Kabaddi League. Her big break in cricket came in 2023, when she confidently conducted the auction for the inaugural Women’s Premier League.

She was born into a business family in Mumbai. Sagar studied art history at Bryn Mawr College in the United States. She often says that her interest in becoming an auctioneer began unexpectedly – after reading a book whose main character was a senior auctioneer.

Her professional career began in 2001 at Christie’s in New York, one of the world’s leading auction houses. She was very young, just 26 years old, and became the first Indian woman to do so at Christie’s in New York. She mostly handled modern and contemporary Indian art, which helped her gain international recognition.

Her sporting debut began much earlier in 2021 with the Pro Kabaddi League, where she was the first female auctioneer there.

A special moment in cricket came in 2023, when the auction for the first Women’s Premier League was organized. At least from what I read, she seemed confident about it. I think the journey in sports auctions started from there.

Auction in 2023. In 2024, she created history by becoming the first woman to conduct an IPL auction during the mini-auction. Later, she also conducted the important IPL 2025 mega auction.

Mallika Sagar: Net Worth, Family & Career

Mallika Sagar’s Net Worth

According to available reports, Mallika Sagar’s estimated net worth is around $15 million, which translates to approximately ₹1,36,41,72,000 in Indian rupees. This shows her strong position in the auction and business world.

Mallika Sagar’s Salary for IPL Auction

Her exact salary at the IPL auction has not been revealed. However, she is widely known as the highest-paid auctioneer in the sports industry.

Mallika Sagar’s Husband

Mallika Sagar was first married to Veer Advani, former Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Blue Star Limited. The couple separated and divorced in 2017. She is currently unmarried.

Mallika Sagar’s Age

She was born on August 3, 1975. As of 2025, she is 50 years old.

Mallika Sagar’s Instagram

She is on Instagram with the username @mallikasagar75. Her account is private, her followers are limited, and she doesn’t post frequently.

Mallika Sagar’s Height

Mallika Sagar’s height is approximately 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm).

Mallika Sagar’s Son

She has a son, but detailed information about him, including his name, has not been shared publicly.

Mallika Sagar’s IPL Auction

She became the first female auctioneer to conduct the IPL auction starting with IPL 2024. After that, Mallika Sagar went on to lead some big auctions. Like IPL 2025 in Jeddah, which was a mega event, and then the 2026 IPL auction in Abu Dhabi. That stands out as the major auction that she handled.

I think her background starts with education. She went to Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia for art history. That gave her a strong foundation to become an auctioneer, you know, understanding the value in things.

Career-wise, she started in art auctions. Worked at places like Christie’s in New York, and she was the first Indian woman to do an auction there. Very impressive. She also did some auctions in India for art stuff.

Then in 2021, she made a little change to sports. Led the Pro Kabaddi League auction, becoming the first woman to do so. It seems like a big change from art, but perhaps skill goes a long way. I don’t know how everything is perfectly connected, but she made it possible. Later, she led the auction of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and then reached the biggest stage, the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Conclusion

Mallika Sagar’s journey shows her confidence, knowledge and hard work. She has a special art of organizing auctions. She has done this work in IPL, WPL and many other games. She has proven her talent.

Read More: IPL 2026 Auction: 10 Released Players Who Could Get Big Bids

FAQs: People Also Ask

Q1. Who is the auctioneer for IPL 2026?

Mallika Sagar is the auctioneer for the IPL 2026 auction to be held in Abu Dhabi. She has created history by becoming the first woman to lead an IPL auction. Earlier, she also conducted the WPL 2026 auction and made her debut as an IPL auctioneer in the IPL mini-auction 2024 held in Dubai.

Q2. Who is the IPL auctioneer?

Mallika Sagar is serving as the auctioneer for the WPL 2026 season. The auction will begin at 3:30 PM today in New Delhi.

Q3. Who is the auctioneer for the IPL 2025 mega auction?

Mallika Sagar is serving as the auctioneer for the IPL 2025 mega auction. This is her second consecutive time in this role, she also conducted the IPL 2024 auction.

A total of 1,574 players registered for the auction, and out of them, 574 players were selected to participate in the event.

Q4. Who is the IPL auction girl?

Mallika Sagar

Q5. Has Kartik Tyagi gone unsold in IPL 2025?

Yes, Kartik Tyagi remained unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction. Along with him, Yash Dhul, Piyush Chawla and Anmolpreet Singh also did not find any buyer in this auction. Despite past performances and experience, no IPL team bought these players this time.