Playing for keeps

Dinesh Karthik proved to be the most expensive wicketkeeper outside the star ones - Dhoni, Gilchrist and McCullum. Delhi bought Karthik for US$525,000 (base price: US$200,000), and they bought AB de Villiers too, for US$300,000 (base price: US$200,000). de Villiers, it must be remembered, started off his international career as a wicketkeeper.

Chennai, too, bought a second wicketkeeper in Parthiv Patel for US$325,000 (base price: US$150,000). Kamran Akmal was bought by Jaipur for his reserve price of US$150,000. Tatenda Taibu, whose base price was US$125,000, didn't attract any buyers.