Daniel Christian shocked after auction success

Despite only playing three Twenty20 internationals for Australia Daniel Christian hit the jackpot after being signed by the Deccan Chargers during this weekends IPL player auction.Despite having a base price of just $50,000, Christian commanded a figure 18 times greater after the Chargers, Delhi Daredevils and new franchise Kochi entered into a bidding war for the 27-year-old.

The final figure of $900,000 set the cricketing world alight with Indian reporters inside the Royal Gardenia Hotel in Bangalore, venue for the auction asking their Australian counterparts who Christian was.

It was a different story for the teams bidding though, Chargers coach Darren Lehmann, Kochi coach Geoff Lawson and the Daredevils Greg Shipperd already knew from first hand experience how deadly Christian is with a bat.

"It'd be nice to earn those kind of figures in a full career. Its been a funny afternoon, to say the least," said Christian after hearing he had been signed by the Chargers.

"Compared to the other guys, I was just hoping to get picked up and play a part in it, so to go for $900,000, words can't really describe it," he added.

"I've had a good few months in state cricket, and by the look of things there's Deccan, Kochi and Delhi who were pretty keen to use my services," he said.

"By the look of the way the auction went yesterday, it looked like a bit of emotion gets involved with some of the owners. I'm lucky enough to be on the receiving end of that."

"It just goes to show how big the game is in India for that kind of money to be thrown around for guys. It's hard to comprehend over here but over there they're fanatical."

It will be interesting to find out whether the owners have their money's worth. But one thing seems to be certain with almost every team having an Aussie coach its all smiles for the budding Aussies wanting to make it to the national squad.

Posted by: Haris Jamil & Ritabrata Roy