Injury woes for India ahead of T20 against South Africa

DURBAN: On a high after drawing a Test series on African soil for the first time, India have been left to deal with a couple of injury setbacks as they take on South Africa, sans Test skipper Graeme Smith, in the only Twenty20 International match of the tour on Sunday.

In an engrossing Test series, India managed to keep the overall scoreline 1-1 after losing the first, winning the second and drawing the third to maintain their number one status in the ICC rankings.

However, the final Test took its toll as opener Gautam Gambhir, who had come back from a hand injury after skipping the second Test, hurt his elbow at Newlands and was ruled out.

The other opener Virender Sehwag was already sidelined for the rest of the tour as a precautionary measure due to a sore shoulder which had kept him out of action for quite a few weeks last year as well.

Besides Gambhir and Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar is the only recognised opener in the squad but he has played only one T20 international in his career, against South Africa at Johannesburg in 2006.

The senior batsman has also not figured in an ODI since February last year and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will have to sort out the opening slots as soon as possible.

Sunday's match will also see the return of left-handers Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina in the middle order.

A lot of focus will also be on Yuvraj Singh who comes back to the venue where he famously hit six successive sixes against England's Stuart Broad during the 2007 T20 World Cup.

Raina, who hit a bad patch recently and was dropped from the side after the first Test, will also look to prove his worth before the ODI World Cup next month.

Virat Kohli, who hit three of his four ODI centuries in 2010, and Yusuf Pathan, who cracked his maiden one-day hundred against New Zealand last December, will also return to boost the batting order.

Among bowlers, Zaheer Khan and S Sreesanth will lead the pace attack, which will also have seamers Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar and Munaf Patel.

In the spin department, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh will look to continue his red-hot form, while Ravichandran Ashwin and comeback man Piyush Chawla will look to raise their stake before next month's World Cup.

South Africa, on the other hand, were dealt a severe blow on Friday when Smith was ruled out from Sunday's match because of hand bruises and the onus now would be on new skipper Johan Botha to inspire the side.

Botha will have the experience of Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and JP Duminy at his disposal, while new batsman David Miller, will also look to boost the side with his youthful exuberance.

Youngsters Colin Ingram and all-rounder Robin Peterson will also add freshness to the side and Botha will hope they come good against the 2007 T20 world champions on Sunday.

The match will be an emotional affair for the South Africans as the Moses Mabhida Stadium, which hosted the 2010 FIFA world Cup, will have pacer Makhaya Ntini playing his last international cricket match.

Ntini will look for a perfect send off by coming up with the kind of pace bowling spell that made him one of the most bankable pacers in the team.

Besides, the Proteas pace department will also have Rusty Theron and Wayne Parnell joining Lonwabo Tsotsobe, who created much discomfort for the Indians in the just-concluded Test series.

Teams (from):

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Murali Vijay, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, R Ashwin, Yusuf Pathan, Piyush Chawla, S Sreesanth.

South Africa: Johan Botha (captain), Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Jean-Paul Duminy, Colin Ingram, David Miller, Makhaya Ntini, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Read more: Injury woes for India ahead of T20 against South Africa - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/india-in-south-africa/top-stories/Injury-woes-for-India-ahead-of-T20-against-South-Africa/articleshow/7241791.cms#ixzz1ARMdZsZ8

IPL auction 4

Player	Team	Base Price	Bidding Price	Role
James Franklin	MI	$100,000	$200,000	All-rounder
Steven Smith	Kochi	$200,000	$200,000	All-rounder
Dwayne Bravo	CSK	$200,000	$200,000	All-rounder
Angelo Mathews	Pune	$300,000	$950,000	All-rounder
Abhishek Nayar	Kings XI	$50,000	$800,000	All-rounder
Stuart Broad	Kings XI	$400,000	$400,000	All-rounder
Shakib Al Hasan	KKR	$200,000	$425,000	All-rounder
Luke Wright		$400,000	Unsold	All-rounder
Ravindra Jadeja	Kochi	$100,000	$950,000	All-rounder
James Hopes	DD	$200,000	$350,000	All-rounder
David Jacobs	MI	$20,000	$190,000	Wicket-keeper
Mark Boucher		$200,000	Unsold	Wicket-keeper
Matt Prior		$200,000	Unsold	Wicket-keeper
Tim Paine	Pune	$100,000	$270,000	Wicket-keeper
Brad Haddin	KKR	$200,000	$325,000	Wicket-keeper
Naman Ojha	DD	$100,000	$270,000	Wicket-keeper
Dinesh Karthik	Kings XI	$200,000	$900,000	Wicket-keeper
Wriddhiman Saha	CSK	$100,000	$100,000	Wicket-keeper
Parthiv Patel	Kochi	$100,000	$290,000	Wicket-keeper
Graham Manou		$50,000	Unsold	Wicket-keeper
Brian Lara		$400,000	Unsold	Batsman
David Warner	DD	$200,000	$750,000	Batsman
David Hussey	Kings XI	$300,000	$1.4 million	All-rounder
Saurab Tiwari	RCB	$100,000	$1.6 million	Batsman
Shikhar Dhawan	DC	$200,000	$300,000	Batsman
JP Duminy	DC	$200,000	$300,000	Batsman
Shaun Marsh	Kings XI	$400,000	$400,000	Batsman
Michael Hussey	CSK	$200,000	$425,000	Batsman
Herschelle Gibbs		$200,000	Unsold	Batsman
Jesse Ryder		$100,000	Unsold	Batsman
Gautam Gambhir	KKR	$200,000	$2.4 million	Batsman
Dilshan Tillakaratne	RCB	$400,000	$650,000	Batsman
Zaheer Khan	RCB	$400,000	$900,000	Bowler
Ross Taylor	RR	$400,000	$1million	Batsman
Yusuf Pathan	KKR	$400,000	$2.1 million	All-rounder
Kevin Pietersen	DC	$400,000	$650,000	Batsman
Mahela Jayawardene	Kochi	$400,000	$1.5 million	Batsman
Yuvraj Singh	Pune	$400,000	$1.8 million	All-rounder
AB de Villiers	RCB	$400,000	$1.1 million	Batsman
Sourav Ganguly		$400,000	Unsold	Batsman
Cameron White	DC	$300,000	$1.1 million	Batsman
Jacques Kallis	KKR	$300,000	$1.1 million	Batsman
Rohit Sharma	MI	$200,000	$2 million	All-rounder
Andrew Symonds	MI	$300,000	$850,000	All-rounder
Kumar Sangakkara	DC	$300,000	$700,000	Wicket-keeper
Adam Gilchrist	Kings XI	$400,000	$900,000	Wicket-keeper
Rahul Dravid	RR	$400,000	$500,000	Batsman
Graeme Smith	Pune	$400,000	$500,000	Batsman
Robin Uthappa	Pune	$200,000	$2.1 million	Batsman
Johan Botha	RR	$200,000	$950,000	Bowler
VVS Laxman	Kochi	$400,000	$400,000	Batsman
Daniel Vettori	RCB	$400,000	$550,000	Bowler
Brendon McCullum	Kochi	$400,000	$475,000	Wicket-keeper
S Sreesanth	Kochi	$200,000	$900,000	Bowler
Chris Gayle		$400,000	Unsold	Batsman
Irfan Pathan	DD	$200,000	$1.9 million	All-rounder
RP Singh	Kochi	$200,000	$500,000	Bowler

TOI

Live IPL auction: Kochi bag Jadeja for $950,000, Pune get Mathews

NEW DELHI: Kochi IPL bagged all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for $950,000 whereas Pune Warriors bought Angelo Mathews for the same price as the world's leading cricket players go under the hammer for the Indian Premier League in Bangalore on Saturday.

Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians bought Dwaye Bravo and Steven Smith for $200,000 each. Mumbai Indians bagged James Franklin for $100,000 just before the tea break of 30 minutes.

Kings XI Punjab bought all-rounders Stuart Broad and Abhishek Nayar for $400,000 and $800,000 respectively.

Royal Challengers Bangalore bought dashing batsman Saurabh Tiwary for $1.6 million after much drama over Kings XI Punjab's late bid for the batsman.

Kings XI bought the services of wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik for $900,000 after they bagged David Hussey and Shaun Marsh for $1.4 million and $400,000 respectively.

Australian David Warner and James Hopes went to Delhi for $750,000 and $350,000 respectively.

The list of unsold is increasing as time goes by with batting great Brian Lara joining Prior, Boucher, Manau, Ganguly and Gayle.

HT

Lara, Ganguly, Gayle go unsold at IPL-4 auction

Brian Lara, Sourav Ganguly, Chris Gayle, Jesse Ryder and Herschelle Gibbs were the four players to go unsold in Indian Premier League-4 auction in Bangalore on Saturday. Both Ganguly and Gayle, former West Indies skipper and a big hitter, were part of Knight Riders in the first three editions and had the base price $400,000, reserved for marquee players.

Ganguly failed to attract any buyer at the auction being held at the ITC Royal Gardenia. Ganguly was earlier placed in the $200,000 price bracket, but he later increased his base price to $400,000, which is the highest bracket for marquee players in the league.

Ganguly, who was the oldest Indian player up for auction at 38 years and six months, had a tough time with Knight Riders and was also removed from captaincy in the second edition in South Africa. Ganguly, however, came back to lead the side after Dave Whatmore took over the coaching from John Buchanan last year.

But Knight Riders were not interested in Ganguly and released him for the fourth edition.

During Ganguly's auction, the spotlight was on the Knight Riders' table, but the team's think tank looked down as his name was repeatedly called before he went to the unsold basket.

There were also reports that Sahara-owned Pune Warriors may buy him at a base price, but they may have changed their mind after Ganguly hiked the price.

HT

Live IPL auction: Punjab get Karthik, Tiwary goes to RCB for $1.6m

NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bangalore bought dashing batsman Saurabh Tiwary for $1.6 million after much drama over Kings XI Punjab's late bid for the batsman as the world's leading cricket players go under the hammer for the Indian Premier League in Bangalore on Saturday.

Who got whom | Team Composition | Players to go under hammer

Kings XI bought the services of wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik for $900,000 after they bagged David Hussey and Shaun Marsh for $1.4 million and $400,000 respectively as another Australian David Warner went to Delhi for $750,000.

The list of unsold is increasing as time goes by with batting great Brian Lara joining Prior, Boucher, Manau, Ganguly and Gayle.

Wicket-keeper batsman Parthiv Patel went to new team Kochi for $290,000 and Wriddhman Saha for $100,000 to Chennai.

Chennai Super Kings opened their account with Michael Hussey as they bagged the Australian for $425,000.

Second session of the auction started with Jesse Ryder and Herschelle Gibbs getting no takers. Deccan Chargers bought Shikhar Dhawan and JP Duminy for $300,000 each.

Delhi Daredevils bagged Irfan Pathan for $1.9 million after Pune Warriors bought Robin Uthappa for $2.1 million.

Team Kochi bought their home boy S Sreesanth for $900,000 after bidding VVS Laxman for $400,000.

Mumbai Indians bagged the services of Rohit Sharma for $2 million and Team Kochi bought pacer RP Singh for $500,000.

Kolkata Knight Riders bought Gautam Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan for a whopping $2.4 million and $2.1 million respectively at the beginning of the auction for the fourth season.

Rahul Dravid went to Rajasthan Royals for $500,000 as Kings XI Punjab bought Adam Gilchrist for $900,000.

South African all-rounder Johan Botha outbid his skipper Graeme Smith as Royals bought Botha for $950,000 whereas Smith went to Pune for $500,000.

Surprisingly former India and KKR skipper Sourav Ganguly find no takers and went unsold whereas Jacque Kallis was bought by KKR for $1.1 million.

New Zealanders Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum went to Rajasthan and Kochi respectively for $550,000 and $475,000.

After Ganguly, former KKR Chris Gayle got no takers at the auction.

Mumbai also bought Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds for $850,000 as Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara went to Deccan Chargers for $700,000.

Yuvraj Singh was bought by new team Pune Warriors for $1.8 million and Kochi team bagged Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene for $1.5 million.

Vijay Mallya's Royal Challengers bought South African batsman AB de Villiers for $1.1 million, Zaheer Khan for $900,000 and Sri Lankan all-rounder Dilshan for $650,000.

Rajasthan Royals then bought the services of New Zealand's Ross Taylor for $1 million whereas Kevin Pietersen went to Deccan Chargers for $650,000.

Proceedings at a luxury hotel in the IT hub of Bangalore, presided over by a professional auctioneer from Britain, begin both days at 11:00 local time (0530 GMT) and broadcast live on an Indian television channel.

The annual IPL tournament revolutionised the sport when it burst onto the scene in 2008 with a high-octane blend of international star players, Twenty20 matches and Bollywood glamour.

But its fortunes dipped dramatically last year after allegations of massive corruption, money-laundering and tax evasion, as well as secret deals to hide teams' real owners, and even links to India's criminal underworld.

IPL founder Lalit Modi -- whose brash style personified the event -- was thrown out by the BCCI, the sport's governing body in India, over accusations about his conduct and organisers hope this year will be fresh start.

The tournament, to be held from April 8 to May 22, is expected to feature 10 teams after Indian courts overturned the expulsion of the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab.

TOI

IPL auction: Who got whom

Player	Team	Base Price	Bidding Price	Role
Michael Hussey		$200,000	Unsold
Gibbs		$200,000
Jesse Ryder		$100,000	Unsold	Batsman
Gautam Gambhir	KKR	$200,000	$2.4 million	Batsman
Dilshan Tillakaratne	RCB	$400,000	$650,000	Batsman
Zaheer Khan	RCB	$400,000	$900,000	Bowler
Ross Taylor	RR	$400,000	$1million	Batsman
Yusuf Pathan	KKR	$400,000	$2.1 million	All-rounder
Kevin Pietersen	DC	$400,000	$650,000	Batsman
Mahela Jayawardene	Kochi	$400,000	$1.5 million	Batsman
Yuvraj Singh	Pune	$400,000	$1.8 million	All-rounder
AB de Villiers	RCB	$400,000	$1.1 million	Batsman
Sourav Ganguly		$400,000	Unsold	Batsman
Cameron White	DC	$300,000	$1.1 million	Batsman
Jacques Kallis	KKR	$300,000	$1.1 million	Batsman
Rohit Sharma	MI	$200,000	$2 million	All-rounder
Andrew Symonds	MI	$300,000	$850,000	All-rounder
Kumar Sangakkara	DC	$300,000	$700,000	Wicket-keeper
Adam Gilchrist	Kings XI	$400,000	$900,000	Wicket-keeper
Rahul Dravid	RR	$400,000	$500,000	Batsman
Graeme Smith	Pune	$400,000	$500,000	Batsman
Robin Uthappa	Pune	$200,000	$2.1 million	Batsman
Johan Botha	RR	$200,000	$950,000	Bowler
VVS Laxman	Kochi	$400,000	$400,000	Batsman
Daniel Vettori	RCB	$400,000	$550,000	Bowler
Brendon McCullum	Kochi	$400,000	$475,000	Wicket-keeper
S Sreesanth	Kochi	$200,000	$900,000	Bowler
Chris Gayle		$400,000	Unsold	Batsman
Irfan Pathan	DD	$200,000	$1.9 million	All-rounder
RP Singh	Kochi	$200,000	$500,000	Bowler

Jayasuriya, Vaas miss out on Sri Lanka World Cup squad

COLOMBO: Veterans Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas were on Friday left out of Sri Lanka's 15-man squad for the World Cup, effectively ending their hugely successful international careers.

Jayasuriya and Vaas, who had played crucial roles in helping the islanders to their maiden World Cup triumph way back in 1996, were the surprise inclusions in the provisional 30-member squad for the tournament's 2011 edition, to be co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from February 19 to April 2.

The only surviving member from the 1996 World Cup winning side is Muttiah Muralitharan, while Rangana Herath who was picked ahead of Suraj Randiv, turned out to be biggest surprise.

The squad for next month's tournament includes seven specialist batsmen including captain Kumar Sangakkara, three spin bowlers led by Muttiah Muralitharan, three seam bowlers and two allrounders.

Vaas, 36, last played for Sri Lanka in August 2008 and the 41-year-old Jayasuriya's last one-dayer was in December 2009. Both players have retired from Test cricket and were apparently keen on playing in another World Cup before announcing their retirements from international cricket.

Mahela Jayawardene who led the team in the last World Cup four years ago in the West Indies, has been named vice-captain.

Sri Lanka's build-up to the mega tournament has been satisfactory, with victories in last year's tri-series in Dambulla and in Australia where 11 players from the current 15 were part of the tour. The home series against the West Indies was, however, postponed due to bad weather, denying the youngsters much-needed exposure ahead of the World Cup.

Squad: Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga , Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath.

Read more: Jayasuriya, Vaas miss out on Sri Lanka World Cup squad - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/icc-world-cup-2011/top-stories/Jayasuriya-Vaas-miss-out-on-Sri-Lanka-World-Cup-squad/articleshow/7237037.cms#ixzz1AQvFlxbm

Tendulkar, Kallis share number-one batting spot

DUBAI: India's Sachin Tendulkar and South Africa's Jacques Kallis now jointly hold the top position in the list of Test batsmen after their superb show in the recently concluded Test series, according to a media release issued by ICC.

Tendulkar, who scored 146 and 14 not out in the Cape Town Test has gained one place while Kallis has been rewarded with a jump of four places for his brilliant efforts of 161 and 109 not out. Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has dropped two places to be third in the rankings.

Tendulkar and Kallis now sit on 883 ratings points, just one ahead of Sangakkara.

It is the 10th time that Tendulkar has claimed the No. 1 ranking which he first achieved in his 33rd Test in November 1994 against the West Indies in Mumbai.

While Virender Sehwag dropped two places to be at sixth, VVS Laxman stayed put at ninth position. Gautam Gambhir broke into the top-20 after his gritty show in the Test series and is now placed at 15th slot.

The only Indian among the top-10 bowlers is Harbhajan Singh who is eighth in the list led by Dale Steyn.

Read more: Tendulkar, Kallis share number-one batting spot - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/Tendulkar-Kallis-share-number-one-batting-spot/articleshow/7237438.cms#ixzz1AQv1KbHl

Live IPL auction: Delhi Daredevils bag Irfan Pathan for $1.9 million

NEW DELHI: Delhi Daredevils bagged Irfan Pathan for $1.9 million after Pune Warriors bought Robin Uthappa for $2.1 million as the world's leading cricket players go under the hammer for the Indian Premier League auction in Bangalore on Saturday.

The auction went for lunch break after two exciting session and will convene again at 1430 IST.

Team Kochi bought their home boy S Sreesanth for $900,000 after bidding VVS Laxman for $400,000.

Mumbai Indians bagged the services of Rohit Sharma for $2 million and Team Kochi bought pacer RP Singh for $500,000.

Kolkata Knight Riders bought Gautam Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan for a whopping $2.4 million and $2.1 million respectively at the beginning of the auction for the fourth season.

Rahul Dravid went to Rajasthan Royals for $500,000 as Kings XI Punjab bought Adam Gilchrist for $900,000.

South African all-rounder Johan Botha outbid his skipper Graeme Smith as Royals bought Botha for $950,000 whereas Smith went to Pune for $500,000.

Surprisingly former India and KKR skipper Sourav Ganguly find no takers and went unsold whereas Jacque Kallis was bought by KKR for $1.1 million.

New Zealanders Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum went to Rajasthan and Kochi respectively for $550,000 and $475,000.

After Ganguly, former KKR Chris Gayle got no takers at the auction.

Mumbai also bought Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds for $850,000 as Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara went to Deccan Chargers for $700,000.

Yuvraj Singh was bought by new team Pune Warriors for $1.8 million and Kochi team bagged Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene for $1.5 million.

Vijay Mallya's Royal Challengers bought South African batsman AB de Villiers for $1.1 million, Zaheer Khan for $900,000 and Sri Lankan all-rounder Dilshan for $650,000.

Rajasthan Royals then bought the services of New Zealand's Ross Taylor for $1 million whereas Kevin Pietersen went to Deccan Chargers for $650,000.

Proceedings at a luxury hotel in the IT hub of Bangalore, presided over by a professional auctioneer from Britain, begin both days at 11:00 local time (0530 GMT) and broadcast live on an Indian television channel.

The annual IPL tournament revolutionised the sport when it burst onto the scene in 2008 with a high-octane blend of international star players, Twenty20 matches and Bollywood glamour.

But its fortunes dipped dramatically last year after allegations of massive corruption, money-laundering and tax evasion, as well as secret deals to hide teams' real owners, and even links to India's criminal underworld.

IPL founder Lalit Modi -- whose brash style personified the event -- was thrown out by the BCCI, the sport's governing body in India, over accusations about his conduct and organisers hope this year will be fresh start.

The tournament, to be held from April 8 to May 22, is expected to feature 10 teams after Indian courts overturned the expulsion of the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab.

The BCCI, as part of its attempt to improve transparency in the IPL, threw out both teams in October for not declaring changes in their ownership structures.

The ensuing legal battle led to their probable return -- though no official announcement has yet been made.

Two new teams have joined the league: Kochi, who have also been involved in a nasty ownership squabble, and the Pune Warriors.

The players' auction was due to be held in November but was delayed amid confusion about the size and format of this year's tournament, which will start just six days after the end of the World Cup co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Twelve players have been retained by their original franchises, with Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni staying with the Chennai Super Kings and Shane Warne and Shane Watson sticking with the Rajasthan Royals.

Some top cricketers have opted out of the IPL's fourth season, including the Australian trio of Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Mitchell Johnson, and former India captain Anil Kumble.

Other notable absentees include former Australian stars Matthew Hayden and Glenn McGrath. Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who signed for $1.55 million with the Chennai Super Kings in 2009, has retired.

Pakistan's cricketers will continue to miss out on the IPL bonanza after none of them was included for the auction.

Their players participated in the inaugural IPL, but were forced out of the 2009 season due to security concerns in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, and were then ignored for the 2010 tournament.

Modi, meanwhile, faces a government probe over financial irregularities and has also had a criminal case registered against him by the BCCI for the misappropriation of 4.68 billion rupees ($106 million).

He denies all charges and now lives in self-imposed exile in London, surrounded by bodyguards, as he claims his life is in danger from Mumbai-based gangsters linked to illegal gambling

TOI

IPL auction: Gambhir sold to KKR for $2.4 mn

Bangalore: Gautam Gambhir seems to be the star of the IPL auction today as KKR bought him for a bid of $2.4 million, while Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf Pathan were snapped up by Pune Warriors. Former KKR captain Saurav Ganguly is unsold.

Kolkata Knight Riders bought Gautam Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan for a whopping $2.4 million and $ 2.1 million as the player auction for the Season 4 of the Indian Premier League began in Bangalore.

The new IPL team Pune Warriors opened its account, buying Yuvraj Singh for $1.8 million (Rs 8.28 crore). Australian T20 captain Cameron White went ot Deccan Chargers for $1.1 million.

Royal Challengers Bangalore bought Zaheer Khan for USD 900,000 and AB de Villers for $1.1 million while Sri Lankan all-rounder Tillakaratne Dilshan was bagged by Vijay Mallya's Royal Challengers for $650,000.

Rajasthan Royals bought the services of New Zealand's Ross Taylor for $1 million while England's Kevin Pietersen went to Deccan Chargers for $650,000. Former West Indies captain Brian Lara and a number of England's Ashes heroes are among 350 players up for grabs at the auction in Bangalore on Saturday and Sunday.

Lara and England bowler James Anderson are among 21 cricketers with the highest reserve price of 400,000 dollars for a three-year contract, with the cash-rich Delhi and Mumbai teams likely to engage in a fierce bidding war.

Other foreign players on offer include Australians Adam Gilchrist and Brett Lee, South Africans Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and New Zealand's Daniel Vettori. The tournament, to be held from April 8 to May 22, will feature 10 teams after Indian courts overturned the expulsion of the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab.

Two new teams have joined the league: Kochi, who have also been involved in a nasty ownership squabble, and the Pune Warriors