Luke Pomersbach has been quoted as saying by an Australian newspaper that he would try and talk to the game’s best players as much as he can and learn the tricks of the trade. Luke Pomersbach was ultimately taken on contract by Mohali IPL for $54,000, reportedly after coach Tom Moody put in a word.

Mohali IPL team also bagged New Zealand pacer Kyle Mills and Australian James Hopes. Mohali signed Kyle Mills for $150,000, while James Hopes got $300,000. Another Australian in the team is fast  bowler Bret Lee, who was auctioned for $900,000.

James Hopes, who plays for Queensland in the Australian league, will join his team mate Brett Lee in the Mohali line-up in the DLF IPL Twenty20 championship.

What is thrilling the 29-year-old James Hopes is the prospect of playing against some of his own team mates in Australian side. James Hopes can take on Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symmonds (Hyderabad IPL), Matthew Hayden (Chennai) and his own captain Ricky Ponting (Kolkata Knight Riders)

James Hopes can also have the opportunity to take on spin legend Shane Warne, with whom his Queensland team mate Shane Watson will line-up.

Fourteen players were auctioned in the second and final round of bidding for the DLF IPL Twenty20 tournament beginning on April 18, with Australian James Hopes bagging the highest bid of $300,000 from Mohali franchaise owned by Bollywood’s Preity Zinta and friend Ness Wadia.

Dimitri Masceranhas became the first England player to bag an IPL contract, being bagged by Jaipur for $100,000.

Dimitri Masceranhas , however, does not have an England and Wales Cricket Board, contract.

In the first auction in Mumbai’s Hilton, 75 international stars were contracted by various IPL teams.

Misabah-Ul-Haq, who was earlier reported to be with Kolkata IPL promoted by Shah Rukh Khan, has been bagged by Vijay Mallya’s Bangalore IPL team Royal Challengers for $125,000. Pakistan players Salman Butt and Mohammad Hafeez were both bought for Rs 40 lakhs each

Bangalore Royal Challengers, owned by Vijay Mallya, also bought Bangladesh’s left-arm spinner Abdur Razzaq for Rs 20 lakhs ($ 50,000) and Kiwi batsman Ross Taylor for Rs 40 lakhs ($ 100,000). Virat Kohli, the captain of the victorious under-19 Indian team was also taken by Bangalore for Rs 20 lakhs.

The second auction’s highest price of $300,00o is in sharp contrast to the first auction where Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni went for $1.5 million from the Chennai IPL team promoted by India Cements.

Andrew Symonds was second with a $1.3 million bid from Deccan Chronicle, which promotes the Hyderabad IPL team.

Pakistan’s premier batsman Mohammad Yousuf was not contracted by any teams, though he will be paid a retainer fee by the BCCI.

Australian Shaun Tait was not considered eligible for the auction as the player’s offer came late.

Extra from CNN-IBN:

Jaipur, which was fined for not spending the prescribed minimum amount in the first auction, bought all-rounders Shane Watson (Australia) for Rs 50 lakhs, Morne Morkel (South Africa) for Rs 24 lakhs, Dmitry Mascarenhas (England) for Rs 40 lakhs, Pakistani seam bowler Sohail Tanveer for Rs 40 lakhs and a couple of Indian U-19 players in Taruwar Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja.

Auction details

Dmitri Mascarenhas (England) – $100,000 – Jaipur
Shane Watson (Australia) – $125,000 – Jaipur
Sohail Tanvir (Pakistan) – $100,000 – Jaipur
Morne Morkel (South Africa) – $60,000 – Jaipur
James Hopes (Australia) – $300,000 – Mohali
Kyle Mills (New Zealand) – $150,000 – Mohali
Luke Pomersbach (Australia) – $50,000 – Mohali
Misbah-ul Haq (Pakistan) – $125,000 – Bangalore
Ross Taylor (New Zealand) – $100,000 – Bangalore
Abdur Razzak (Bangladesh) – $50,000 – Bangalore
Salman Butt (Pakistan) – $100,000 – Kolkata
Mohd. Hafeez (Pakistan) – $100,000 – Kolkata
Ashwell Prince (South Africa)- $175,000 – Mumbai
Brett Geeves (Australia) – $50,000 – Delhi