Shane Watson sold for AUD $1.98million, but the stupendously in-form Usman Khawaja went unsold? Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of Indian Premier League player auctions.
The 2016 IPL player auction delivered its share of drama as polarising cricket star Watson was sold to Royal Challengers Bangalore for 9.5 Crore (AUD$1.98million), with RCB compiling a world-beating top order featuring disgraced (in Australia, anyway) T20 star Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and Australian bowler Mitchell Starc.
Mitchell Marsh sold for $1 million to new franchise Rising Pune Supergiants -- who also snagged prolific batsmen Kevin Pietersen ($730,000) and Steve Smith, while Kolkata Knight Riders picked up fellow allrounder John Hastings for $271,000.
Yet for all the splurging, there was plenty of rejection as Khawaja, Aaron Finch, George Bailey and Michael Hussey all went unsold.
They joined Brad Haddin, Ben Dunk, Cameron Bancroft and Kane Richardson in the unwanted pile.