IPL season II : Mumbai get JP Duminy for $950,000, Bangalore get KP, Flintoff goes $1.55 million to Chennai

[Amol21]

In the second phase of the auction, Deccan Chargers bought West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards on his base price of $150,000.

Delhi Daredevils bagged both middle-order English batsmen Owais Shah and Paul Collinwood for $275,000 each.

Three players did not get any takers in the second round. They are Australian wicket-keeper batsman Brad Haddin, pacer Stuart Clark and Sri Lankan batsman Chamara Kapugedera.

As expected, Team Bangalore bought the services of former England skipper Peitersen while Team Chennai bought all-rounder Flintoff after slugging it out with a couple of franchises, making him the highest cost player in the team. Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni had commanded a price of $1,500,000 in the first auction last year.

Team Chennai owner N Srinivasan brushed aside the talk of Flintoff becoming the costliest player in the team saying "last year it was a different auction. This year it is different."

Srinivasan admitted that they went all out to get Flintoff. "He is an outstanding all rounder and can bring a lot of value to the team."

Englishmen Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Peitersen commanded an identical price of $1,550,000 during the auction for the second Indian Premier League season that starts on April 10.

Bangalore team owner Vijay Mallya expressed satisfaction over getting Peitersen at $1,550,000 and accepted that the team was prepared to pay more for the explosive batsman. "Yes we were prepared to pay more. But there is no point in talking about it."

Mallya said the presence of Peitersen would do a world of good to the balance of his side but parried questions on whether he would be made the skipper. "That is for the team management to decide," he said to a query.

While Flintoff and Peitersen were the main attraction of Friday's auction, South African batsman J P Duminy was the biggest gainer. The left handed batsman was snarled by Team Mumbai for $950,000, more 300 per cent higher than his reserve price of $300,000.

Champions Team Rajastan bought the services of Australian speedster Shaun Tait for $375,000.

[Aadi]

Paul Collinwood (Delhi) for $275,000, Peitersen (Bangalore ) and Andrew Flintoff ( Chennai )at $1,550,000, and J P Duminy for $950,000 (mumbai) Who will say economy is down...? if sponsor paying this purchasing player in this amount in global economy recession period imagine what will be cost in normal period......

[Manoj.J]

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.