MUMBAI, 21 February 2008 — India one-day captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Australian Andrew Symonds crossed the million-dollar mark as the world’s top cricketers were auctioned off for the Twenty20 Indian Premier League (IPL).
Chennai bought Dhoni for $1.5 million, which was nearly four times the Indian’s base price of $400,000 in the opening round of the novel sell-off held before the lucrative 44-day tournament’s debut in April.
All-rounder Symonds was a close second after going for $1.35 million to the Hyderabad team. Teammates Brett Lee was bought by Mohali for $900,000 and Ricky Ponting by Kolkata for $400,000.
Eight franchise owners, including corporate tycoons and Bollywood actors, were bidding for 78 cricketers in a pioneering process that some observers believe will change the face of the game.
“It’s a landmark day. I have not seen anything like this before. It has been amazing,” said IPL governing council member Inderjit Singh Bindra.
Each player will receive his auction price as an annual wage over the initial three-year contract. The IPL was conceived to counter the rebel Indian Cricket League, which recently held its tournament in northern India with big names like West Indies’ Brian Lara and Pakistan’s Inzamam-ul-Haq. The spending of eight teams — Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai and Mohali — is capped at five million dollars for a maximum of eight overseas players.
The tournament, starting on April 18, will be the first time international cricketers will ditch their national allegiances to play for privately owned sides, after organizers raised more than a billion dollars to fund the venture. Matches will be played in 12 Indian cities.
No single event has made global cricket news in this manner since Kerry Packer’s circuit did over thirty years ago, but unlike the IPL, the late Australian media magnate’s event was a breakaway league.
Some of the country’s biggest companies, including spirit company UB Group, have bought franchises. Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta have bought into the Kolkata and Mohali franchises, adding further glamour to the league.
Zinta, who accompanied IPL chairman Lalit Modi for one of the media announcements, clapped in glee when Modi announced to reporters that India pacer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth was bought by Mohali for $625,000. Mohali also bought India all-rounder Irfan Pathan for $925,000. The players were bid in sets of 12 according to their annual base price, multiple-skills and expected availability for the inaugural year. Mumbai paid $975,000 for hard-hitting Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya and $850,000 for Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. Retired Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne was bought by Jaipur at his base price of $450,000, while compatriot Adam Gilchrist went to Hyderabad for $700,000.
Record-breaking Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was bought by Chennai for $600,000, while his national captain Mahela Jayawardene went to Mohali for $475,000. Kolkata bought controversial Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar for $425,000 as bidding, orchestrated by English auctioneer Richard Madley, continued at a five-star hotel.
A total of 13 Australians were up for grabs, with many expected to attract fierce bidding based on their competitive reputation.
Also in the fray were 25 Indians, 11 Sri Lankans, 11 South Africans, eight Pakistanis, five New Zealanders, three West Indians and one Zimbabwean.
Indians Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag have been given ‘iconic’ status, which means they will not be auctioned off and will lead their home teams.
Each will get 15 percent more than the highest-paid player in his side.
Cricket Australia’s restrictions that bar more than two of its players from appearing in the same team also adds to the tournament’s competitive flavor. The IPL is the brainchild of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and is backed by the International Cricket Council.
