2009 unsold Pollard, Roach big hits in 2010 IPL auction

In a span of less than 12 months West Indian players Kieron Pollard and Kemar Roach have become hot properties of Indian Premier League III after remaining unsold in the previous edition of the Twenty20 event auction held in Goa on February 6 last year.

In a span of less than 12 months West Indian players Kieron Pollard and Kemar Roach have become hot properties of Indian Premier League III after remaining unsold in the previous edition of the Twenty20 event auction held in Goa on February 6 last year.

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There were no takers for the flamboyant Trinidad and Tobago all-rounder Pollard and exciting Barbadian fast bowler Roach at the second IPL auction, which saw 17 players being bought, though their base prices were a modest USD 60,000 and 50,000 respectively.

But in today's third IPL auction, the Caribbean duo was in hot demand.

Mumbai Indians fought a intense bidding battle to snatch away Pollard for USD 750,000 after a four-way tie with Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The Mukesh Ambani-owned franchise spent more than the declared amount to break the tie and buy the hard-hitting batsman for the 2010 season commencing March 12.

Roach, meanwhile, was snapped up for $720,000 by Hyderabad franchise Deccan Chargers after remaining unsold in last year's auction, in which star English players Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen were snapped up for identical sums of $1.55 million each.