The staggering riches Wednesday’s Indian Premier League auction threw up has finally convinced the cricketing world that the revolutionary Twenty20 tournament is here to stay. Notwithstanding $1.1 billion having been shelled out to procure television rights and an almost like figure coughed up to gain ownership of franchises, many top non-Indian cricketers had been unnecessarily apprehensive about the intent of the business houses that had purchased the franchises. The sums doled out to procure worldwide talent have finally put all speculation to rest; the IPL has proved, nearly two months before a ball has been bowled, that it is more about cricketing entertainment than promotion of business interests. In many ways, the IPL carries the potential for a greater shake-up of the cricketing firmament than Kerry Packer’s rebel World Series did in the mid-70s. This Twenty20 event has the approval of the International Cricket Council and, by extension, all cricket boards across the world, which is why it is surprising that the ICC has opted not to find a niche for the IPL in an admittedly crowded calendar until 2012.

Wednesday’s auction was full of surprises, the least of which was Mahendra Singh Dhoni attracting the highest bid, a whopping $1.5 million (Rs 6 crore). The Indian one-day captain’s drawing power is all too obvious, and Chennai felt the desperate need to rope in the second most coveted face in Indian cricket, behind Sachin Tendulkar, in the absence of an icon player of its own. The surprises came in the form of the Yusuf Pathans, the Robin Uthappas, the Rohit Sharmas and the Manoj Tiwaris, many of them extremely young in international experience, commanding prices far more than the likes of Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey and Shane Warne. Quite clearly, franchise owners have done their research and identified Indian names as bigger draws than overseas stars; just how much vast sums of money will change the lifestyles of these young men and their approach to international limited-overs and Test cricket remains to be seen.

Destructive top-order batsmen and all-rounders have, predictably, been coveted catches. That Indians are shrewd businessmen and can set sentiment aside is also evident from Andrew Symonds being bought by Hyderabad for an astronomical $1.35 million (Rs5.4 crore). Like Chennai, Hyderabad too doesn’t have an icon player. Symonds isn’t the most popular cricketer in India for obvious reasons but he will generate tremendous interest. Already, the IPL has got off to a thunderous start. Now, if only the action lives up to the hype!