45 Indian players signed

The bidders gave top priority to Indians, Australians and South Africans.

45 Indians were signed along with 36 Australians, 18 South Africans, 9 Lankans, 7 Englishmen, 7 NZers, 3 West Indians, 1 Bangladeshi and 1 Dutch !

It seems the influence of six Aussie coaches had their say in the IPL IV Auction. Since Indians were performing well in T20s, ODIs and Tests and India is numero uno in Test and second in ODIs, it was understandable that the majority were Indian players.

Pakistanis were not considered as the Govt of Pakistan had denied visas to Paki players. England' s international fixtures clashes with IPL VI, which starts from Apr 8 and stretches upto May 28.

Now the attention moves to the uncapped players segment. BCCI has given the nod for signing the uncapped players to the fanchisees. The teams will use the $ 9 million cap to buy these players.

The uncapped players can play a pivotal role in the tournament. Kochi has bright stars like Prashant Parameswaran, Vincent and Raphy in their ranks. They may peak at the right time. So are the uncapped players from other states. Many new names will rise.

The BCCI release said " According to IPL regulations, the uncapped players can be taken on fixed fees". As per the pay structure for the uncapped, players who have not played Ranji Trophy, List A or First Class can get 10 lakhs per annum. A player who played in Ranji Trophy, List A or First Class will get 20 lakhs per annum. Those players who played in Ranji, List A or First Class before 2006, will get 30 lakhs per annum.

So big money is flowing into cricket, which is an inspirer, and no wonder India is rising !