Melbourne, Jan 10 (IANS) Daniel Christian is struggling to come to terms with his fat Indian Premier League (IPL) paycheque of $900,000.
The medium fast bowler, who is also a useful hard-hitting batsman, is rated highly in Australia but many were dumbfounded by the price he fetched.
The 27-year-old, who has played just three Twenty20 internationals, moved to South Australia from New South Wales and it paid dividends as he gave some sterling performances and was selected for Australia’s Twenty20 squad last year.
Christian had a base price of just $50,000, but Chargers won him only after paying 18 times his initial price, having seen off an intense bidding from Delhi Daredevils and new franchise Kochi.
The coaches of all three teams — Darren Lehmann (Chargers), Geoff Lawson (Kochi) and Greg Shipperd (Delhi Daredevils) — bidding for Christian are Australians who have seen him play for New South Wales.
‘It’d be nice to earn those kind of figures in a full career. Its been a funny afternoon, to say the least,’ Christian reacted on his sudden fortune.
‘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,’ he was quoted as saying in the Australian media.
He said that former Australian player Lehmann must have played an important role in his IPL selection. ‘Knowing ‘Boof’ (Lehmann) and having played with Boof has played a part in that for sure.’
Christian said he would have been satisfied with even a far lesser amount.
‘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,’
‘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.’
