Sardar Singh fetches highest price at HIL auction

New Delhi, Dec 16 (IANS) Indian hockey team’s captain and one of the marquee players, Sardar Singh was sold to the Delhi Wave Riders for the highest price of $78,000 here at the Hockey India League (HIL) players’ auction Sunday.

Other marquee players sold at the auction were Australian Jamie Dwyer to Jaypee Punjab Warriors at $60,000, German Moritz Suertse for $75,500 to Ranchi Rhinos, and world’s most capped player Teun de Nooijer of the Netherlands to Lucknow-based Uttar Pradesh Wizards for $66,000.

India’s second marquee player and drag-flick specialist Sandeep Singh, who was touted to be sold for the highest price, was sold at his reserve price of $27,800 to Mumbai Magicians.

Other important Indian players sold at the auction were S.V. Sunil (Punjab for $42,000), Yuvraj Walmiki (Delhi for $18,000), and Shivendra Singh (Punjab for $27,500).

Mumbai’s Tushar Khandekar was sold for only $100 more than his reserve price of $13,900 to Uttar Pradesh while S.K. Uthappa went to Uttar Pradesh for $25,000 and Gurbaj Singh to Delhi for $36,000.

Unlike cricket’s Indian Premier League (IPL), there were no problems with the auction of Pakistani players as the Mumbai franchisee bought Fareed Ahmed for $21,000 and Mohammed Rashid for $41,000.

On being sold for the highest price, Sardar said: “It feels very good. I am enjoying the moment. Hopefully all players will get a good deal. There will a banter among the national team players about who are sold for what.”

IANS 2012-12-16 12:54:05