Minutes before the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) player auction was to start, it was revealed that the Rajasthan Royals had USD 2 million less to spend than their original purse.
Since the Royals had retained two overseas players, USD 3.1 million from their total purse was
reduced. This should have meant that the Royals could spend up to USD 5.9 million at the auction.
However, it was informed that the team had a purse of USD 3.9 million. An IPL spokesperson clarified that the Royals wanted to spend a maximum of USD 7 million. "The Royals have given an undertaking to the court saying they want their cap to be reduced from USD9 million to 7 million," he said.
This meant that on Saturday and Sunday will see a maximum of USD 72.3 million spent by all teams.
ECB NOCs sorted out
Though the BCCI had clarified on Friday evening that the participation of England players was subject to No Objection Certificates from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). It was learnt that the obstacle was removed since the NOCs arrived early on Saturday morning.