Durban: With some of the Indian players fetching record amounts on the first day of IPL players auction in Bangalore today, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni
said although he did not follow the proceedings closely he was happy for his big-earning team-mates.
Dhoni said even though he could not follow the opening day`s bidding drama on television, he got constant updates from India on his cell phone.
"Not really. I am not being able to follow it like you because I don`t know where it is being telecast. But in between I kept getting SMSes from India," he told reporters on the eve of the one-off Twenty20 match against South Africa tomorrow.
"Off course, I am happy because as long as cricketers earn money, you feel happy irrespective of which player is getting what amount. Definitely, that`s (money) the big thing that IPL has brought to Indian cricket. It feels good. Hopefully, a lot of cricketers get lot of money and do well in the tournament," he added.
In today`s auction, India opener Gautam Gambhir became the costliest cricketer in the IPL by fetching a whopping USD 2.4 million (approx Rs 11.04 crore).
Apart from Gambhir, three other Indian players -- hard-hitting all-rounder Yusuf Pathan (USD 2.1 million), Rohit Sharma (USD 2 million) and Robin Uthappa (2.1 million) crossed the two million mark.
Dhoni also said being the skipper of an IPL team it was good to be away from the place where all the action was taking place.
"It`s good to be away because you can consult a bit with the owner. But at the end of the day it`s the owners choice to buy the players and as a captain you can try to get the best out of them. So, you can shy away from a bit of extra responsibility," he said.
"In the first auction I didn`t know where I will go, but now it`s a different scenario. You know the format, you know the players well and you always hope you get some of the same players back, and maybe leave some who didn`t get a chance to
play because they may get a chance to get into the playing eleven of some other team," the Chennai Super Kings skipper added.
PTI
