Bangalore snap up Misbah-ul-Haq

Misbah-ul-Haq was the first high-profile player to be signed up in the second round of auctions...

Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan batsman, and India's Under-19 World Cup-winning captain Virat Kohli have been bought by the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the second round of the Indian Premier League's player auction in Mumbai on Tuesday. Misbah, who nearly took Pakistan to victory in the ICC World Twenty20 last year, was bought for US$125,000.

Dimitri Mascarenhas, the England allrounder, was signed on by the Jaipur franchise for $100000, making him the first England player to be auctioned at the IPL. There had been a question mark over the participation of English players - excluded from the first round of the auction - in the IPL season, as it overlaps with the beginning of the county season. However, his county, Hampshire, has said it will give Mascarenhas the necessary no-objection certificate.

The Jaipur franchise also signed up South African fast bowler Morne Morkel ($60,000), Australian allrounder Shane Watson ($125000), Pakistan left-arm fast bowler Sohail Tanvir ($100000) and a couple of Indian U-19 players in Taruwar Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja.

The Kolkata franchise, now named the Kolkata Knight Riders, has bought two Pakistanis - Salman Butt ($100,000) and Mohammad Hafeez ($100,000) - and two U-19 players in Siddarth Kaul and Iqbal Abdulla.

The Australians James Hopes ($300,000) and Luke Pomersbach ($50,000) and New Zealand bowler Kyle Mills ($150,000), have been bought by the Mohali franchise, in addition to two U-19 players in Tanmay Srivastava and Ajitesh Argal.

Pradeep Sangwan, the left-arm seamer who impressed in his debut Ranji Trophy season and at the U-19 World Cup, will represent the Delhi Daredevils, as will Brett Geeves ($50,000), the Tasmanian fast bowler who's yet to play for Australia.

Bangalore also signed up Bangladesh left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak ($50,000), New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor ($100,000) and Indian U-19 wicketkeeper Shreevats Goswami.

South African batsman Ashwell Prince was bought by the Mumbai Indians for $175,000, in addition to U-19 players in Saurabh Tiwary and Manish Pandey. Napoleon Einstein and Abhinav Mukund, two Tamil Nadu players from the U-19 World Cup, and Vidarbha's Viraj Kadbe will represent the Chennai Super Kings.