South African Tyron Henderson stunned by his $650,000 IPL sale

When you are Shane Warne's number one choice and attract a bid four times higher than your own valuation, then you have a lot to live up to.

Last Updated: 4:42PM GMT 06 Feb 2009

In demand: Tyron Henderson, the 'Blacksmith', could not believe it when the Rajasthan Royals secured his services for $650,000 Photo: AFP/Gett Images

For Tyron Henderson that is what awaits after the IPL auction in Goa vindicated his decision not to retire at the end of last season to run a bar in his native South Africa. Instead the Rajasthan Royals have paid $650,000 (£445,200) for him.

"I was watching it on the internet and couldn't believe it as the price kept going up," Henderson said from his home in South Africa.

"It is a total surprise as I thought I might be lucky to get a $150,000 deal. I think Shaun Udal at Middlesex might have put a word in for me with Warney. I owe him a beer."

Rajasthan, the winners of the inaugural IPL, have built their team on stats rather than reputation and Henderson's record speaks for itself.

Known as "the Blacksmith" he has by his own admission one tactic at the crease – "If it's there I hit it," he said. His muscular presence at the crease brought match-winning innings for Middlesex in the semi-final and final of last year Twenty20 Cup.

His bowling isn't bad either. He is the highest ever wicket-taker in Twenty20 cricket with 74 wickets in 62 matches at an average of 21.

Such a record sparked the interest of the Deccan Chargers, whose bids inflated Henderson's salary beyond the $475,000 Rajasthan paid last year for Warne and Graeme Smith, two of the world's great players.

IPL auction: Deal or no deal for England stars

Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff are both expected to command top dollar at the IPL auction. Telegraph Sport highlights which England players will prove a smash hit and which will fail to attract interest...

Last Updated: 11:24AM GMT 05 Feb 2009

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In demand: Kevin Pietersen should break the record bid Photo: GETTY IMAGES

All-rounder: Andrew Flintoff has already drawn big interest Photo: PA

Multi-skilled: Paul Collingwood is an ideal Twenty20 player Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Asian roots: Owais Shah could prove a popular pick Photo: PA

All-action: Luke Wright can score quick runs and bowl Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Good deal: Ravi Bopara could be a bargain buy Photo: GETY IMAGES

Kevin Pietersen - $1.35 million
The headline act. Pietersen's valuation is expected to reach around the $2m mark, making him the world's richest player. Bangalore are the favourites to sign Pietersen but Rajasthan Royals, the IPL champions, are flush with money, while Mumbai may be tempted to team Pietersen with Tendulkar. If he joins Bangalore, expect plenty of TV commercials featuring KP and Vijay Mallya, the team owner and India's most high profile businessman.
Deal or no deal: Big bucks for KP.

Andrew Flintoff - $950,000
One franchise official was quoted in the Indian media as vowing to do "whatever it takes" to win the Flintoff auction. With at least three franchises identifying Flintoff as their main target, a bidding war could spiral his value to the max.
Deal or no deal: Expect India to be gripped by Freddie mania

Paul Collingwood - $250,000
Collingwood represents a smart pick and with a base price of $250,000 he would offer value for money for franchises concerned about their bank balance. Collingwood's celebrity status is about as high as a pint of Newcie Brown, but franchises have learned from the mistakes of last year when reputations equalled dollar signs but not necessarily performances on the field.
Deal or no deal: Colly and lots of lolly has a certain ring.

Owais Shah - $150,000
Kolkata are thought to be interested in Shah, particularly as Ricky Ponting is unlikely to be available for the majority of the IPL due to Australia commitments. Shah is expected to fetch more than his $150,000 base valuation.
Deal or no deal: Hopes are high in the Shah household.

Luke Wright - $150,000
The star of the first IPL was Australia all-rounder Shane Watson, and the pair do share similarities. Wright's powerful presence at the crease, as well as his age (23), make him an attractive proposition for teams looking to unearth a bargain. Wright's medium-pace death bowling adds to his value.
Deal or no deal: Outside chance of contract.

Ravi Bopara - $150,000
Bopara is a talented all-round cricketer and with such a low base price ($150,000) he is likely to attract interest. His Asian roots will also help, particularly with Pakistani cricketers barred by their government from appearing in this year's IPL. Bopara's Twenty20 record is excellent (strike rate: 121), and this year there is evidence the franchises have done their homework.
Deal or no deal: Disappointment seemingly looms.

Kevin Pietersen to become the world's richest cricketer as IPL bids start at $1.3m

Kevin Pietersen is set to become the world's highest-paid cricketer next week when he is sold at the Indian Premier League auction with a reserve price of $1.3million (£915,000).

Last Updated: 12:12AM GMT 29 Jan 2009

Prize asset: Kevin Pietersen is expected to beat the record price set by MS Dhoni Photo: PA

Telegraph Sport can reveal that Pietersen has been valued at the highest ever fee by the IPL and will almost certainly smash the record of $1.5million paid last year by Chennai Super Kings for India captain MS Dhoni.

Andrew Flintoff has been valued at $900,000 at the auction when the IPL futures of 13 other contracted England players will be decided. The auction on Feb 6 clashes with England's first Test against the West Indies and the tour management will have to ensure the players remained focussed on the match at Sabina Park.

That will not be easy with salaries bandied around beyond the dreams of many cricketers.

Flintoff and Pietersen's advisers will have noted last year's auction during which Dhoni cashed in on a bidding war which saw his base price of $400,000 rocket.

Both Pietersen and Flintoff have been courted by almost all of the eight IPL franchises and competition for their signature will be fierce despite their limited availability this year. "Pietersen can name his own price," said one franchise owner recently.

England's centrally contracted players will be available for only 21 days of the IPL and will be paid on a pro-rata basis. That could still represent a minimum of $86,000 per match for Pietersen who could cram six appearances into three weeks.

Pietersen and Flintoff will also benefit from the dollar's current strength against the pound and their IPL salaries will also be swelled by the hugely lucrative marketing and endorsement opportunities afforded to India's leading cricketers.

The Bangalore Royal Challengers, owned by the flamboyant billionaire Vijay Mallya, met with Pietersen last year and remain the favourites to sign him while Flintoff has been linked with joining Sachin Tendulkar at the Mumbai Indians.

The base prices for the remaining England players will be decided today although none is likely to be valued higher than $250,000.

Dominic Cork and Sajid Mahmood were among other English cricketers to be added to the auction list sent yesterday to the franchise owners. Ed Joyce, the Sussex batsman, has also been listed as has Darren Gough, Rob Key and Essex's James Foster.

The eight franchises will be able to spend $16million between them and the auction list is expected to contain 50 players. Middlesex' South African Twenty20 specialist Tyron Henderson is also hoping to pick up a deal.

IPL auction bidding war to land Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff

The England team are somewhat used to being treated as assets, thanks to their involvement with Sir Allen Stanford, but for a lucky few, Friday will be their time to cash in.

Last Updated: 11:13AM GMT 05 Feb 2009

Hot property: Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff will go for top dollar Photo: PA

Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff are the leading English names at the Indian Premier League auction.

The Fort Aguada hotel, on a peninsular of the North Goan coast, is already besieged by television crews and Indian media anticipating what is quickly becoming cricket's annual publicity stunt - the IPL auction.

At 10am Goan time (4.30am GMT) seven England players will become numbered lots. Pietersen, somewhat fittingly, is expected to be named as A1.

The 43 players listed for sale will be auctioned off in batches with Lalit Modi, the IPL figurehead, announcing to the media, during lulls in the bidding, who has bought whom.

The whole show is expected to last up to three hours during which time $16 million will be spent on around 21 players. Recession. What recession?

Pietersen and Flintoff are the names dominating the Indian newspapers. Both could reach the maximum price of $2m and the IPL governing council was today meeting to decide what will happen if two franchises bid the same amount.

The Bangalore Royal Challengers are owned by the Indian liquor baron Vijay Mallya. His portfolio includes the Formula One team, Force India, so he is well versed in how money talks in sport.

Mallya wants Pietersen and is thought to be willing to splurge his entire purse on him. It may come to that.

A rival has emerged over the past 24 hours with the Rajasthan Royals, the IPL champions, also linked with a Pietersen bid. They have money to spend thanks to the recent $14m investment by Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty.

Linking up with Shane Warne, the captain and coach of the Royals, would appeal to Pietersen, although sharing a dressing room with Graeme Smith may not.

For Flintoff, his $950,000 base valuation could double. All eight franchises have shown an interest at one stage or another, but it is likely only three or four can realistically afford his salary.

A bidding battle between Chennai, Mumbai or Kings XI Punjab is likely to make Flintoff a very happy man when he wakes up in Jamaica tomorrow.

Michael Clarke's decision to pull out on the eve of the auction will increase English hopes of an IPL deal.

Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara will be seen as 'bargain' buys, with base prices set at a maximum of $150,000. Bopara and Shah's Asian roots will not harm their chances, and the fact they will both be available for two thirds of the IPL adds to the attraction.

Delhi enter the auction room looking for a batsman - JP Duminy of South Africa is thought to be their target - while Kolkata have already been linked with Shah.

"It's all-rounders that people really want, whether they can bowl fast or even just offer an alternative with the ball," said one franchise official. "Apart from KP and Shah, all the England players on the auction list offer more than one skill."

A year ago, the franchises were bewitched by big names. Jacques Kallis - great Test player but bum Twenty20 record - was bought for $950,000. The hysteria surrounding the first auction, when 75 players, including the entire India team, were sold - even infected men who have made millions in the brutal world of Indian business.

Rajasthan bucked that trend and bought on T20 reputation. The result was a title winning team. That lesson has been learned and we can expect a more measured approach this year.

Although with one franchise official stating he will "do anything" to land Flintoff's signature, despite his lack of availability, it suggests some names retain a magical allure.

The players left on the shelf tomorrow will not give up hope. The decision by the Pakistan government to ban its players from playing in India has wreaked havoc within some franchise boardrooms. Those not bought will be still be available for purchase on one-year deals as temporary stand-ins.

Tomorrow the IPL announces the arrival of Twenty20 cricket in 2009, and what happens in the Aguada Ballroom will go a long way to indicating if it will be a bumper year.

Kevin Pietersen suited to IPL franchise owner Vijay Mallya's lavish lifestyle

Whether their talent is for making money, dancing, acting or simply being more ruthless than the next man, India's wealthy never lack for attention.

When you add cricket into the mix then the level of hype spirals quicker than the bids in Friday's Indian Premier League auction room.

The owners of the eight IPL franchises were gathered in clusters inside the Fort Aguada Ballroom to wave their flashing red bats whenever they chose to cast a bid.

Wearing a vibrant red shirt, which looked as if it was bought from one of Goa's beach hawkers, was Vijay Mallya, the owner of the Bangalore team and one of India's richest men.

Mallya has made his money from his Kingfisher brewery and airline and now has the toys all self respecting billionaire's crave - a Formula One team and India's equivalent of a Premier League football club.

Following the bidding process Mallya is now Kevin Pietersen's latest boss and certainly the most generous employer he will ever have.

Mallya's personal fortune is estimated at $1.2 billion and in 2008 he was ranked as India's seventh richest man.

With a bloodstock farm and a fleet of vintage cars, Mallya knows how to spend his money and the parties he hosts on his yacht, the Indian Empress, are legendary in India. KP should fit right in to the Mallya world.

But Mallya's wealth is dwarfed by that of Mukesh Ambani, the man who pays Sachin Tendulkar's wages at the Mumbai Indians. Ambani represents regal, old Indian money. His family own Reliance Industries, the oil drilling company rated as one of the world's most successful businesses with a turnover in the region of $35.9 billion.

Mukesh was too busy to attend the auction so sent his wife on the ultimate shopping spree instead. Nita Ambani was not shy with her husband's money. A cool $950,000 was spent on South African JP Duminy. Mukesh will not be too upset with Mrs Ambani. He has another $45 billion to fall back on.

Andrew Flintoff made a powerful new friend when he was bought by the Madras Super Kings for $1.55 million. Owned by N Srinivasan, the secretary of the BCCI and cement gazillionaire, Flintoff will be at the heart of a team many see as the best in the IPL. No pressure there then.

But boardroom billionaires are not enough to create a media stir in India. What is needed is a pretty face. That is provided by the IPL's Bollywood babes. Pretty Zinta, the actress, is part owner with her boyfriend in the Kings XI Punjab, the team based in her home city of Chandigarh.

With Yuvraj Singh as captain, Kings XI are the IPL's glamour boys and it is there that Ravi Bopara will spend a month in April. Below the fragile exterior lurks a powerful business mind and Zinta is a vociferous defender of women's rights in India.

She won a national bravery award when she testified against the Mumbai mafia gangs who hold a grip on the Bollywood industry. Cricket really must feel like a hobby.

Her position as the IPL's number one female attraction though has been challenged this week by Shilpa Shetty, a fellow Bollywood actress but better known in Britain as winner of Celebrity Big Brother.

Having been insulted by Jade Goody is perhaps one unusual way of preparing to work with Shane Warne, the captain and coach of the Rajasthan Royals, the team she bought a stake in on Monday.

Shetty was the public face of the Royals today although judging by her answers, she may have to brush up on the career of Tyron Henderson, the Middlesex journeyman her team are about to pay $650,000 a year.

However, Shetty and Zinta are dwarfed in their fame by Shah Rukh Khan, the owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders and the most recognisable face in India.

SRK had a novel way of attracting fans to Eden Gardens last year. He promised before every match to perform a dance. What prevented this show stopping moment was the fact the West Bengal government would slap the team with a hefty entertainment tax if SRK got his dancing shoes out.

He kept his feet shackled but SRK's name alone was enough to earn Kolkata millions of rupees from merchandising and shirt sales. In the end, that is what it's all about.

IPL 2009 auction: The complete lowdown
Friday, 06 February , 2009, 14:07 Last Updated: Friday, 06 February , 2009, 17:33
Name of the player Base price Sold for Team ENGLAND Kevin Pietersen $1.35m $1.55m Royal Challengers Andrew Flintoff $950,000 $1.55m Chennai Super Kings Luke Wright $150,000 No takers Owais Shah $150,000 $275, 000 Delhi Daredevils Paul Collingwood $250,000 $275, 000 Delhi Daredevils Ravi Bopara $150,000 $450. 000 Kings XI Punjab Samit Patel $100,000 No takers SOUTH AFRICA Ashley Prince $ 150,000 No takers Andre Nel $ 100,000 No takers Gulam Bodi $100,000 No takers JP Duminy $300,000 $950,000 Mumbai Indians Morne van Wyk $100,000 No takers Tyron Henderson $100,000 $650, 000 Rajasthan Royals Yusuf Abdullah $25,000 No takers AUSTRALIA Aaron Bird $45,000 No takers Ashley Noffke $100,000 No takers Alden Blizzard $ 75,000 No takers Brett Geeves $45,000 No takers Brad Haddin $ 250,000 No takers Bryce McGain $50,000 No takers Daniel Harris $50,000 No takers Dominic Thornley $50,000 No takers George Bailey $50,000 $50,000 Chennai Super Kings Jon Moss $50,000 No takers Michael Klinger $ 75,000 No takers Michael Dighton $85,000 No takers Michael Hill $50,000 No takers Phil Jaques $100,000 No takers Shane Harwood $75,000 No takers Shaun Tait $250,000 $375,000 Rajasthan Royals Steven Smith $75,000 No takers Stuart Clark $250,000 No takers BANGLADESH Shakib Al Hasan $75,000 No takers Mohammad Ashraful $75,000 No takers Mashrafe Mortaza $50,000 $600,000 Knight Riders Tamim Iqbal $50,000 No takers NEW ZEALAND James Franklin $50,000 No takers Jesse Ryder $100,000 $160, 000 Royal Challengers Kyle Mills $150,000 $150,000 Mumbai Indians SRI LANKA Thilan Thushara $100,000 $140,000 Chennai Super Kings Nuwan Kulasekara $100,000 No takers Kaushalya Weeraratne $50,000 No takers Chamara Kapugedera $150,000 No takers Prasanna Jayawardene $ 50,000 No takers WEST INDIES Darren Powell $150,000 No takers Dwayne Smith $100,000 $100,000 Deccan Chargers Fidel Edwards $150,000 $150,000 Deccan Chargers Kemar Roach $50,000 No takers Kieron Pollard $60,000 No takers Jerome Taylor $150,000 $150,000 Kings XI Punjab Ran Naresh Sarwan $ 100,000 No takers

Second IPL season scores low on glamour quotient

If the first players' auction a year ago was a free for all bout between eight heavy weight franchises, the exercise for the second edition of the Indian Premier League this year was more a battle of wits with the bidders waiting for the right opportunity to score a point.

And the strategy was clear in the first round of auctioning itself when Team Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya could not hide the smile on his face as the other franchises raised their hands for the first three players on offer.

Mallya was only interested in former England skipper Kevin Pietersen from the lot of the four most expensive players that included his compatriot Andrew Flintoff, Australian speedster Shaun Tait and the new South African sensation Jean-Paul Duminy.

"I was in fact cheering the teams who were bidding for the other three players," he said after the first round. "It meant that they were all ready spending their money and we had a distinct advantage when the bidding for Peitersen started."

The auction was also a bit low on the glamour quotient this time around with the likes of Team Kolkata co-owner Shah Rukh Khan and Team Mumbai owner Mukesh Ambani staying away from the Taj Aguada.

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, who joined the IPL bandwagon last week by buying 11.7 per cent stake in Team Rajastan, kept a low profile during the auction. "I am soaking in the atmosphere here. I am a first timer and this is a huge learning experience for me," she told reporters.

"Our team management is very experienced and have a game plan ready," she added.

The defending champions won the bid for South African medium pacer Tyron Henderson for $650,000 after an intense bidding.

Apart from the bidding, the talking point has been the high security around the hotel. "The security was anyways increased after the terrorist attack in Mumbai. But since so many big people are coming here we have been doing stringent security checks on everyone entering the hotel," said the security guard at the entrance.

IPL auction - As it happened

Shaun Tait was the first player to go under the hammer and went to the Rajasthan Royals for USD 375,000.

Mumbai Indians bought South African sensation JP Duminy for USD 950,000. His base price was initially set at USD 300,000.

But it was the two Englishmen attracted the most attention as well as the highest bids.

Franchises bid fervently for Andrew Flintoff before Chennai Super Kings finally acquired him USD 1.55 million.

As expected, Bangalore Royal Challengers left no stone unturned as they acquired former England captain Kevin Pietersen for USD 1.55 million.

"I think its a very worthwhile investment," said Vijay Mallya, owner of the Bangalore franchise, about his latest acquisition. Mallya said he was ready to dish out a bigger sum to sign on Pietersen.

Fidel Edwards was sold to Deccan Chargers for his base price of USD 150,000.

Chamara Kapugedera found no bidders and remains unsold. He will be up for consideration at the end of the auction. Australian wicket keeper Brad Haddin and Stuart Clark remained unsold as well.

Owais Shah, who was part of Middlesex's victorious campaign last year, found himself being fought over by Kolkata and Delhi before Bangalore joined the fight. But Delhi were certain they wanted the English batsman and outbid Bangalore to acquire him for USD 275,000.

Paul Collingwood, the English all-rounder, was also acquired by Delhi for USD 275,000.

Tyron Henderson, the big-hitting South African all-rounder who also played for Middlesex last year, was the surprise package. His base price was set at USD 100,000 but was sold at USD 650,000 as Rajasthan and Deccan Chargers fought fiercely to outbid one another before Deccan Chargers finally bowed out.

Phil Jacques, the Australian opener with a base price of USD 100, 000, remained unsold.

Ashwell Prince (USD 150,000), Andre Nel (USD 120,000) found no takers either.

Both Bangalore and Chennai fought for English all-rounder Ravi Bopara (base price: USD 150,000) until Punjab joined the race at USD 400, 000 and eventually acquired him for USD 450,000.

Luke Wright (USD 100,000), another England all-rounder, didn't attract any bids. Neither did Sri Lanka paceman Nuwan Kulasekara (USD 100,000).

Another Sri Lankan Thilan Thushara was about to be sold for his base price of USD 120,000 before Kolkata expressed their interest and joined Chennai in the race but Chennai eventually got him for USD 140, 000.

The auctioneer mistakenly declared NZ opener Jesse Ryder (USD 100,000) unsold before realizing that Bangalore had bid for him. As it turned out, there were more than a few parties interested before he went to Bangalore for USD 160,000.

Kyle Mills, the Kiwi all-rounder, was bought for his base price of USD 150,000 by the Mumbai Indians.

Samit Patel (USD 100,000), the England all-rounder, Bangladeshi Sakib-Al-Hasan (USD 75,000), South African wicket keeper Morne van Wyk (USD 100,000),Steven Smith of NSW (USD 75,000), Ashley Noffke (USD 100,000) found no takers.

West Indian Dwayne Smith was brought for his base price of USD 100,000 by the Deccan Chargers.

South African Ghulam Bodi (USD 100,000), West Indian Darren Powell (USD 150,000) remained unsold as well.

There were no bids for Tamim Iqbal (USD 50,000), Victorian all-rounder Jonathan Moss (USD 50,000), leg-spinner Bryce McGain (USD 50,000), Kiwi all-rounder James Franklin (USD 50,000), Victorian Aiden Blizzard (USD 75,000), Ramnaresh Sarwan (USD 100,000), Michael Klinger (USD 75,000), Kaushalya Weeraratne (USD 50,000), Prasanna Jayawardene (USD 50,000) and Dominic Thornley (USD 50,000).

Mashrafe Mortaza (USD 50,000) became the first Bangladeshi to evoke any interest from the franchises as Punjab and Kolkata fought vigorously for him. Kolkata had bought no one at the auction yet and were desperate for a fast bowler after losing Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul. There were discussions among the franchises before they decided to raise the bid every time. The process sped up towards the end as the auctioneer virtually ran out of breath. As the bids went up to USD 500,000 the crowd broke into an applause but neither franchise had given up. After close to twenty minutes of intense bidding, he was finally sold to Kolkata for twelve times his base price, USD 600,000.

South African Yusuf Abdullah (USD 25,000), South African Daniel Harris (USD 50,000), Kemar Roach (USD 50,000), Aaron Bird (USD 45,000), Michael Dighton (USD 50,000), Michael Hill (USD 50,000) and Brett Geeves (USD 45,000) didn't attract any bids.

Tasmanian batsman George Bailey was sold to Chennai for his base price of USD 50,000.

Punjab have asked for Jerome Taylor, who remained unsold earlier, and the West Indian has been sold to Punjab for his reserve price of USD 150,000 while Mumbai got Mohammad Ashraful for his base price USD 75,000. That brings us to the end of the auction.

All the 17 slots that were available at the auction were filled from a list of 50. All contracts have been awarded on a 2-year basis.

IPL Auction Results Part-III

Pitched By Cricket360 Reporter

Friday, 06 February 2009

Currently 5.00/5 Rating 5.0/5 (1 vote) IPL Season 2 has created history, as it has managed to sell a player from Bangladesh. It is recognition of the status that Bangladesh is slowly acquiring in the international cricket. This one single step could go a long way in the cause of cricket in Bangladesh. Kolkata Knight Riders made bid for him, as the hammer for the first round was to go down at the price of $50,000. Soon Kings XI Punjab joined into the fray, and the price for Mortaza went up to $410,000, after Preity Zinta agreed to bid for him. The bid started going back and forth between Kolkata and Chandigarh Kolkata bidding $500,000, Punjab following it up with $550,000, then Kolkata raised the bid to $600,000. Punjab did not enhance the bid so Mortaza has become the new acquisition for the Kolkata Night Riders. This bid has been the longest so far, in the current season of auctioning. The drama involved in this bid is reminiscent of the bidding involved with the bidding of Ishant Sharma as Kolkata Knight Riders had bought Ishant Sharma at the price of $950,000 last year after a series of protracted bids between Delhi and Kolkata. In terms of the percentile increase from the base price, Mortaza's bid has created history, as his appreciation is 1110% as compared to 575% for Ishant Sharma from last year. A streak of celebrations is going to follow in the hometown of Mortaza, Narail, in Bangladesh. The news would take long time to sink as a history has been created, and the first person who is accorded a status continues to be the reference point for all times to come for his followers feels Cricket360. Cricket360 also wonders, whether selection of Mortaza as a representative of Kolkata Knight Riders would eventually lead to exploration of possibilities for conducting the matches in Bangladesh as well, as Kolkata has now a local boy in the team. The other players whose fate has been decided in the auction include George Bailey, a Tasmanian batsman, for $50,000 who went to Chennai Super Kings, as there was no bidder for him and Kings XI Punjab bid for Jerome Taylor and got him at his base price of $150,000. Among the noticeable left outs include Shakib from Bangladesh who did not find a bidder though he had a fantastic year with bat and bowl, England all rounder Samit Patel and Michael Hill, who was the U-19 captain for Australia in the last World Cup.

English players top bidding war at IPL auction

Panaji: The much-anticipated second round of Indian Premier League auction was concluded on Friday afternoon in Goa and it turned out to be more dramatic than expected.

Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff stormed into the million-dollar league, becoming the most expensive buys even as some virtual unknown cricketers became the centre-piece of fierce bidding wars.

It was clear as soon as the day started that the teams were in the auction hall with a clear plan in mind.

So Nita Ambani led the charge for the Mumbai Indians, staving off competition to pick up the impressive Jean-Paul Dumniy at more than three times his base price for $950,000.

"We wanted to have a batsman, another middle order batsman and a bowler; so we have achieved all this and we wanted to have people who will be with us for the full season because last year we had a problem," Nita Ambani said.

• Final list of players sold in IPL auction

• IPL auction: KP, Freddie beat Dhoni, fetch $1.55 mn each

• Photogallery: Shilpa, Preity shop at IPL auction

• IPL WAGS happy with hot picks in Goa

But soon the big news of the IPL auction was out. The Chennai Super Kings broke their own record by picking up Andrew Flintoff for $1.55 million (Rs 7.35 crore) and he had become the most expensive player in the tournament.

In just a few minutes, Flintoff was joined soon by Kevin Pietersen at the same figure with Vijay Mallya and his Bangalore Royal Challengers desperate for him and nabbed him with little resistance.

"I think he would be a superb addition to our team. We needed to strengthen our batting significantly and he fits that role amongst other things very, very well," said Mallya.

English players continued to get picked up with the Delhi Daredevils buying Owais Shah and Paul Collingwood. Kings XI Punjab pocketed another English player Ravi Bopara.

"I think we are all looking forward to the English participating this year. It is something new. i think they have a lot of fans here and overseas. They will supplement the team well," said IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi.

But it wasn't just the English who provided the excitement.

Tyron Henderson, a 34-year-old hard-hitting all-rounder from South Africa became the focus of a ferocious bidding war between the Rajasthan Royals and the Deccan Chargers.

The Royals finally prevailed but at more than six times his base price of $100,000.

And then came the Mashrafe Mortaza saga.

For well over half an hour, the bid went backward and forwards between the Kings XI Punjab and the Kolkata Knight Riders. From $50,000, his price went up 12 times to $ 600,000 before he landed in the Knight Riders lap.

"I am sure that there is no doubt that his p[rice is in excess of where it started anyway. he started at a base price of 50,000 and we got for 600,000. But as I said we have got to look at him as more than just what he brings as a player. He brings a strong connection to Bangladesh and that is something that we as a franchisee are very keen to explore," said Kolkata Knight Riders coach John Buchanan.

So the fun is finally over and now the games begin.

Recession? IPL II jumpstarts with multimillion dollar auction

Friday, 06 February , 2009, 20:43 Last Updated: Friday, 06 February , 2009, 22:16

Panaji: All talk of economic slowdown and austerity was thrown out of the window Friday as India's obsession cricket put on yet another grandiose display at the 'Players' Bazaar' aka the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction ahead of the second edition of cricket's latest innovation. There were plenty of Bollywood stars in attendance -- Shilpa Shetty, the investor in Rajasthan Royals; Preity Zinta, co-owner of Kings XI Punjab, and Juhi Chawla, co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders with Shah Rukh Khan -- at the Fort Aguada resort here. Pietersen and Flintoff fetch record prices | IPL 2009 auction: The complete lowdown | IPL 2009 Then there were flamboyant industrialists like Vijay Mallya, Ness Wadia, Raj Kundra and N. Srinivasan, who wears many hats ranging from ownership of Chennai Super Kings to being an official on Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and IPL committees to running India Cements. Yes, not to be missed was Nita Ambani for Mumbai Indians! A total of 17 players were auctioned from among the 43 available players. As somebody commented, there was less of cricketing quotient and more of glamour, but many of the players who came under the hammer were not complaining. While a few pre-auction underdogs like Mashrafe Mortaza and Tyron Henderson were laughing their way to the bank, many others were left wondering if any cricketing yardsticks were applied when it came to some bids. England's superstars, Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, who at best will be available for half the season, were 'sold' for $1.55 million each, a handy $50,000 more expensive than India's Captain Hero Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Ironically, Flintoff will play for Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings. The flamboyant Pietersen, who recently was relieved of his English captaincy following his 'me-or-the-coach' controversy, was expectedly picked by the even-more flamboyant owner, Vijay Mallya. Gambhir, Dhoni set up easy win for India | More cricket news Mallya then declared that the captaincy of his team, Bangalore Royal Challengers, was not a closed issue. That may not go down well with former India captain Rahul Dravid, who led the Bangalore side with little success last season. Not escaping the attention of many cricket watchers will be the fact that Mallya also picked Jesse Ryder, the controversial Kiwi player who has time and again run foul of authorities for alcohol related problems. Pietersen-Mallya and Ryder with the strong and silent Dravid could provide the main side act for IPL II. A little while after Mallya sought the man he had come for - he later declared he was willing to go right up to $2 million for Pietersen - bubbly Bollywood star Preity Zinta went head-to-head with Juhi Chawla, on the table for Kolkata Knight Riders which she co-owns with Shah Rukh Khan. The big beneficiary of this bidding war was little-known Mortaza, a Bangladeshi fast bowler, who went for $600,000 after being brought in at a base price of $50,000. J.P. Duminy, who three months ago was not even on the West Indian horizon, went for $950,000 and he was picked by Mumbai Indians, represented at the table by tycoon Mukesh Ambani's wife Nita. Another surprise buy was Tyron Henderson, a 34-year-old South African, whose experience is mainly with Middlesex - he helped win the T20 Cup last year in England. After starting at a reserve price of $100,000, he came under the hammer for $650,000 and went to Rajasthan Royals. Two other English stars, Owais Shah and Paul Collingwood, went to Delhi Daredevils at $275,000 each. The teams have been allowed 10 overseas players this season, up from eight in the league's first edition. A team could spend as much as $2 million for 2009, in addition to the $5 million they had last year. A day before the auction when Australia's Michael Clarke, one of the three with a reserved price in six figures, pulled out citing a busy schedule there was some talk of the auction being low-key, but when the gates opened, the horses were ready to bolt. With the heady mix of cricket, Bollywood glamour and big money in full display, failure and low-key were the last words that came to mind. The English will be here for the first time - Dmitri Mascarenhas did play last year though - and the Australians will be here only for the last stages. The South Africans will be away for a short period in between and the Pakistanis will stay at home to watch the show on TV and rue the miss in terms of big money. IPL chairman Lalit Modi, as is his style had the last laugh, at least today, when he said: "Looking at the crowd today and the interest when Shilpa Shetty bought the stake in Rajasthan Royals, it is apparent that these games will attract crowds and will be a success." "The IPL," he declared, "has defied the recession." The IPL runs from April 10 to May 29, with the top four teams advancing to the semifinals.