ED slaps Rs 98.5cr penalty on Royals

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has slapped a penalty notice of approximately Rs 100 crore against IPL team Rajasthan Royals for allegedly violating forex laws in its business operations.

The agency, which issued the penalty notice after a two years of investigations under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), has sent out three separate notices to the IPL franchise totalling to Rs 98.5 crore plus some other similar notices earlier, sources said.

While a Rs 50 crore penalty has been slapped on Jaipur IPL Cricket Private Limited (JIPL) and its directors, owners of Rajasthan Royals, Rs 34 crore notice for evasion of forex duties has been issued against EM Sporting Holding, Mauritius and its directors.

A fresh notice of Rs 14.5 crore has been issued against Ms ND Investments, United Kingdom and its directors.

All the three parties can appeal against this penalty order in the appellate authority of FEMA. The order requires the IPL team to pay up in 45 days.

The ED has been investigating financial and foreign exchange irregularities against all the IPL franchises for almost two years now and this is the first big order against any team. It comes just a day after auctions concluded in Chennai for the sixth edition of the glamorous cricket extravaganza.

The penalty order said the probe agency found that foreign investment in JIPL was made in "flagrant contravention of FEMA" and the investment made in this regard was made "much prior to the incorporation of JIPL".

The penalty was issued after investigations pointed out that the funds in the firm have been remitted in an irregular manner and shares were allegedly issued in violation of forex rules stipulated and framed by the RBI.

The agency issued the first penalty order against Rajasthan Royals in mid-2011 and it recently moved the FEMA Adjudicating Authority in Delhi to vet its investigation in this case and issue final orders.

The penalty order states that the ED probe has found that foreign investments of the firm were in contravention of Section 6 of FEMA which deals with transfer or issue of security by a person resident outside India, and other sub-sections of the said Act.

The agency, during its probe, relied on the bank documents and statements made by the directors and investors of Rajasthan Royals.

The ED has issued almost 24 show cause notices, amounting Rs 2000 crore, under FEMA against various IPL franchises and the BCCI in the probe in these cases.

Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty and her businessman husband Raj Kundra also have stake in the franchise, which defied the odds to become the inaugural IPL champion.

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IPL auction price not sunk in yet: Nayar

MUMBAI: Mumbai's leading run-getter of the season, Abhishek Nayar, is focused on the Irani Cup game against the Rest of India, commencing here on February 6, and is not exactly celebrating the steep price of Rs 3.5 crore that he commanded at the Indian Premier League auction.

How IPL 6 auction panned out

"To be honest it has not sunk in yet because the Irani Trophy game is round the corner and I am more focused towards that. Hopefully, post that or post to having a good IPL, I can thing about the money part. As of now that's not on my mind," Nayar said today after Mumbai's practice session at the Wankhede Stadium.

Nayar was bought for $675,000 by Pune Warriors at the auction held in Chennai on Sunday, and would be moving over to play for a new franchise in IPL-6, to be held from April 3, after having represented Kings XI Punjab last season.

Nayar, who scored over 950 runs in the season for Mumbai, said now that he knows his new team, he can concentrate on his preparations.

"I am happy and also relieved. I know where I am playing now. Hopefully, I can prepare well and deliver.

"I am very happy where I am. Hopefully I can prove (justify) the amount of trust put in me by playing to my potential," he said about his shift from King's XI Punjab to the Warriors.

The left-handed batsman, who bowls medium pace with his right arm, has been a late addition to the India 'A' squad to take on the visiting Australian team in Chennai from Feb 16-18.

"I would be lying if I said if I wasn't disappointed, but I was hopeful that there would be something better around the corner. Now that it has happened I feel it's just about going there and proving the selectors right," he said about his late inclusion as an additional member of the team.

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Azhar expresses desire to coach India

LONDON: Former captain Mohammad Azharuddin has expressed his desire to coach the India cricket team in future if the BCCI approaches him with an offer.

"Whatever little cricket I have played, I have learnt a lot and I would like to impart those skills to young players. It is up to the board (BCCI) to use me in the best way. I would certainly like to be involved with Indian cricket," Azhar said.

"It is the board's prerogative to decide on that (coaching the Indian team), but I am available in any capacity for the benefit of Indian cricket," added Azhar, who was the chief guest at an India-Pakistan students' friendly match at Lord's stadium as part of the London School of Economics annual India Week.

In November last year, the Andhra Pradesh High Court had lifted the life ban on Azharuddin imposed by the BCCI for his alleged involvement in match-fixing.

The 49-year-old Congress MP from Moradabad said it's high time to inject fresh blood in the side to prepare the team for the future.

"The team needs some new blood. It is important that young players are given the chance to play. The IPL format has been good for the game in that sense, as it has thrown up some very good players.

"Being able to play across all formats requires a lot of skill and there are some very talented players coming up. It is time to inject them into the team," he said.

Azhar said he heaved a sigh of relief when the High Court overturned the life ban imposed on him.

"I am just happy to be cleared. I now look forward to helping people as a cricketer and politician. I entered the field of politics to be able to do some good," he said.

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Europol uncovers match-fixing network

THE HAGUE: European investigators have uncovered evidence that hundreds of football matches at club and national level were fixed around the globe in a scam run from Singapore, police said on Monday.

A joint inquiry by Europol, the European anti-crime agency, and national prosecutors has identified about 680 suspicious matches including qualifying games for the World Cup and European Championships, and for the Champions League for European club sides, Europol head Rob Wainwright said.

The matches, some of which have already been subject to successful criminal prosecutions, were played between 2008 and 2011. About 380 of the suspicious matches were played in Europe, and a further 300 were identified in Africa, Asia, and south and central America.

Football is the world's most popular sport, watched by billions live and on television around the globe and making huge profits for some clubs and broadcasters.

Last year the head of an anti-corruption watchdog estimated that $1 trillion was gambled on sport each year - or $3 billion a day - with most coming from Asia and put on football matches.

A German investigator described a network involving couriers ferrying bribes around the world, paying off players and referees in the fixing which involved about 425 corrupt officials, players and serious criminals in 15 countries.

"We have evidence for 150 of these cases, and the operations were run out of Singapore with bribes of up to 100,000 euros paid per match," said Friedhelm Althans, chief investigator for police in the German city of Bochum, told a news conference.

Investigators said no names of players or clubs would be released while the investigation proceeded. However, the fixing also included top flight national league matches in several European countries, as well as two Champions League matches, including one played in Britain.

Singapore police said last month that they were helping Italian authorities to investigate alleged match fixing involving a Singaporean, but said he had not been arrested or charged with any offence there.

Althans said that, though German police had concrete proof of 8 million euros ($11 million) in gambling profits from the match fixing, this was probably the tip of the iceberg.

Investigators described how gang members immediately subordinate to the Singapore-based leader of a worldwide network were each tasked with maintaining contacts with corrupt players and officials in their parts of the world.

Laszlo Angeli, a Hungarian prosecutor, gave an example of how the scam worked. "The Hungarian member, who was immediately below the Singapore head, was in touch with Hungarian referees who could then attempt to swing matches at which they officiated around the world," he said.

Accomplices would then place bets on the internet or by phone with bookmakers in Asia, where bets that would be illegal in Europe were accepted. "One fixed match might involve up to 50 suspects in 10 countries on separate continents," said Althans.

"Even two World Cup qualification matches in Africa, and one in Central America, are under suspicion," Althans added.

TOUGH TO FIX

World football's governing body FIFA issued a statement pointing to quotes from its Director of Security, Ralf Mutschke, before a match-fixing conference in Rome last month.

"World Cup qualifying matches are tough to fix as a general rule, since the World Cup is the biggest event for teams and above all players," he said. "We're obviously still keeping a very close eye on the matches, but as yet there have been no suspicions of fixing."

Althans said there was a need to coordinate match fixing legislation around Europe. "In many countries, including Germany, fixing a match only becomes a crime if you then place a bet on the outcome," he said, adding that proving a bet had been placed was often difficult.

Last year Chris Eaton, who is director of Sport Integrity at the International Centre for Sport Security, a Qatari-backed anti-corruption watchdog, gave the $1 trillion estimate for global sports gambling.

"Around 80 percent of that money is gambled on football, football, and most of that money is either in or to southeast Asia," said Eaton, a former head of security at FIFA, world football's governing body.

Eaton said mafia gangs were attracted to match-fixing because it was a way of laundering cash and estimated they were making hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

Corruption goes beyond football. Three Pakistani test cricketers were jailed in Britain in 2011 for their part in a scam where players agree to rig a specific part of a game, so-called "spot fixing".

The incidents occurred during an international match against England in the summer of 2010, at Lord's, the home of cricket and came to light as a result of an investigation by the now defunct News of the World newspaper.

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'Didn't see myself in WC team, so quit'

NEW DELHI: Since he did not see himself playing the 2015 World Cup, it was appropriate to quit the 50-over format in the best interest of the Indian team, batting great Sachin Tendulkar has said.

The senior batsman said it was best to allow team find a winning combination ahead of the tournament, to be held in Australia and New Zealand.

The 39-year-old batsman said it was right to walk into the sunset, keeping in mind India's title defence.

"I felt in 2015 when we go to Australia and New Zealand we should be fully prepared to lift the trophy again. I don't see myself playing in the 2015 World Cup and that's why I felt I should back off and the team should move ahead and form a balance, formidable combination for the 2015 World Cup," Tendulkar said.

One of the game's all-time greats, Tendulkar, announced his retirement from one-day cricket in December last year, bringing to an end a glorious 23-year-old career in the one-day format during which he rewrote numerous batting records.

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Million-dollar jackpot for Glenn Maxwell

CHENNAI: Rising Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell stole the thunder from his illustrious compatriots, fetching a whopping one million dollars (Rs 5.3 crore), while Abhishek Nayar and RP Singh also invited unexpectedly high bids in the players' auction for the sixth edition of the IPL on Sunday.

Auction List: Batsmen | Bowlers | All-rounders | Wicket-keepers

The 24-year-old Maxwell was bought by Mumbai Indians after fierce bidding war with new entrants Sunrisers Hyderabad in an otherwise low-key auction where 108 players went under the hammer.

"He is an upcoming youngster. He can bat, bowl and I think he is a great fielder. We had thought of some names before we came here and he was one of them," said Mumbai owner Nita Ambani on the logic behind making such a high bid for the youngster who is just eight ODIs and nine T20s old in the international arena.

Currently playing against the West Indies in an ODI series, Maxwell was ironically out for a first-ball duck in the second ODI in Perth -- while franchises bid for him in Chennai.

Mumbai all-rounder Abhishek Nayar, who performed consistently in the domestic arena, went to Pune Warriors for $675,000 (Rs 3.5 crore), a huge improvement on his base price of $100,000.

Sri Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera also fetched Rs 3.5 crore from Hyderabad Sunrisers, while Indian pacer RP Singh managed to get a good deal from Royal Challengers Bangalore, who bought him for $400,000 (Rs 2.1 crore).

It was a surprise given that his base price was $100,000 and he has not done anything significant to merit such a high price tag.

South African all-rounder Johan Botha was bought by Delhi Daredevils for $450,000 (Rs 2.3 crore).

Australian captain Michael Clarke and his predecessor Ricky Ponting, both of whom were marquee players, did not generate much interest among the franchises. The two were sold on their base price of $400,000 (Rs 2.1 crore).

Maxwell made his debut for Australia against Afghanistan in a one-day international in the United Arab Emirates in 2012.

Among others who would be smiling all the way to bank are Maxwell's compatriot Luke Pomersbach. The troubled player, who has battled alcoholism, fetched a deal of $300,000 (Rs 1.5 crore) with Kings XI Punjab. The 28-year-old batsman started with a base price of $50,000.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy was purchased by Hyderabad Sunrisers for $425,000 (Rs 2.2 crore), while Australian James Faulkner also had a good day at the auction with Rajasthan Royals shelling out $400,000 (Rs 2.1 crore) for him.

The all-rounders drew interest from the franchises with most of them getting decent packages but it turned out to be quite a dampener for all the wicketkeepers in the list as they went unsold.

South Africans Vernan Philander and Herschelle Gibbs, West Indian Darren Bravo, England's Ravi Bopara, Australians James Hopes, Matthew Wade and Tim Paine were the prominent names who did not invite a single bid.

The contracts offered at this year's auction are for just this season as all the players will go under the hammer next year.

Among those who got good deals were Australia's Moises Henriques (sold for $300,000 to Royal Challengers Bangalore), temperamental New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder($260,000 to Delhi Daredevils).

India's uncapped domestic stars Jaydev Unadkat and Pankaj Singh were also among the big gainers at the auction. Jaydev was bought for $525,000 (Rs 2.7 crore) by Bangalore, much higher than his base price of $100,000.

Pankaj, on the other hand, was bought for $150,000 by the same franchise, a massive jump from his base price of $50,000.

Another Indian pacer Manpreet Gony went for $500,000 (Rs 2.6 crore) to Kings XI Punjab.

As the auction progressed, there were more surprises in store as the likes of Sri Lankan mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis and forgotten Australian pacer Dirk Nannes triggered bidding wars which fetched them much more than their base prices.

Mendis was bought by Pune Warriors for $725,000 (Rs 3.8 crore). The bowler, who is no longer the formidable force that he was when he first broke into the scene, came to the auction with a modest base price of $50,000.

Nannes fetched a bid of $600,000 (Rs 3.1 crore) from the Chennai Super Kings, a massive hike from his base price of $200,00.

West Indies bowler Fidel Edwards was bought by Rajasthan Royals for $210,000 (Rs 1.1 crore), a good improvement from his base price of $100,000.

Indian pacer Sudeep Tyagi and Kiwi Nathan McCullum were roped in by Hyderabad Sunrisers at their respective base prices of $100,000.

The unsold list grew longer as the proceedings continued with Australian Doug Bollinger and Sri Lankan Rangana Herath joining the prominent names who failed to evoke the franchises' interest.

South African all-rounder Christopher Morris, who has played just one Twenty20 international, quite literally struck gold at the auction by fetching $625,000 (Rs 3.3 crore) after starting with a measly base price of $20,000.

The 25-year-old was bought by Chennai Super Kings after an intense three-way bidding war with Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The bizarre buying pattern at the auction continued with little-known Sri Lankan off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake going much beyond his base price of $50,000.

The franchise that initially bid on him were Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings before Kolkata Knight Riders entered the fray to raise his price tag to $625,000 (Rs 3.3 crore) to snatch him from CSK.

Australian fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile went on sale at a base price of $100,000 but went on for $450,000 to Mumbai Indians, who outbid the Rajasthan Royals.

The 25-year-old is yet to make his international debut and currently turns up only for Western Australia and Perth Scorchers in his domestic circuit.

Another uncapped player who triggered a bidding war was promising Australian pacer Kane Richardson. The 21-year-old, whose base price was $100,00, was ultimately bought by Pune Warriors for $700,000 (Rs 3.7 crore).

The prominent players who went unsold after the lunch break were New Zealand veterans Scott Styris and Jacob Oram, Australian pacer Clint McKay, Irish batsman Kevin O'Brien and Australian batsman Travis Birt.

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WC: England beat hosts India by 32 runs

MUMBAI: Harmanpreet Kaur's brilliant unbeaten century went in vain as India suffered a 32-run defeat against defending champions England in their group A match of the ICC Women's World Cup on Sunday.

Kaur blasted 107 runs in 109 balls, laced with eight fours and two sixes, to become the second cricketer from India to slam a ton in the World Cup.

But the 23-year-old from Punjab didn't get much support at the other end as India made 240 for nine in reply to England's 272 in their stipulated 50 overs.

Fast bowler Katherine Helen Brunt was the top wicket-taker for England as she returned with a four-wicket haul in nine overs, while spinner Danielle Wyatt chipped in with a couple of wickets.

Chasing a target of 273, India had a dismal start as they lost their top three batters -- last match centurion Thirushkamini Murugesan, Punam Raut and skipper Mithali Raj -- in a span of 34 minutes and by the eighth over.

They managed to recover from 29 for 3 as vice-captain Kaur and wicket-keeper batter Karuna Jain steadied the innings with a partnership of 106 for the fourth wicket in 157 balls.

Jain scored 56 in 92 balls and her knock was laced with five fours, though she couldn't capitalise on the 'life' she got, when the English skipper dropped her on 55.

The bowler Arran Brindle struck three balls later in the same over to dismiss Jain when Laura Marsh took her catch at backward point.

Former India skipper Jhulan Goswami, who came into bat after Jain departed, also got a reprieve when Jennifer Gunn dropped her on two at extra cover off Anya Shrubsole.

Goswami made a quick fire 19 in 20 balls, with three fours before Heather Knight took a brilliant flying catch at mid-off to send her back.

Kaur then forged a 53-run stand with Reema Malhotra, but it was all over for the hosts when they lost three wickets -- Malhotra, Amita Sharma and Niranjana Nagrajan -- in three consecutive balls at the team score of 225 runs.

Earlier, skipper Charlotte Edwards led from the front with a hundred to help defending champions England overcome a poor start and post a challenging 272 for 8.

Edwards hit a captain's knock of 109 to become the highest run-scorer in women's cricket with 4901 runs, surpassing Aussie Belinda Clarke's 4,844. She also became the 4th woman to score over a 1,000 runs in World Cup.

During her 107 minutes at the crease, Edwards struck 16 fours, before being run out.

For India, Goswami and Nagrajan grabbed two wickets apiece. The hosts, however, lost their way after a good start, allowing England off the hooks in the middle overs.

England got off to a slow start and lost opener Danielle Wyatt (2) in the fifth over, after being invited to bat.

Wyatt, who had got a reprieve when first slip fielder Thirushkamini Murugesan failed to latch on to the ball off Goswami, was dismissed in the bowler's next over, when she was caught at mid wicket by Amita Sharma.

Having been reduced to four for one, the defending champions consolidated and Edwards forged a century stand with one-down batter Sarah Taylor.

Taylor hit three fours, including the first one of the innings, before she was run out.

England added 62 runs for the third wicket with captain Edwards and Lydia Greenway taking the attack to India. The duo extracted 15 runs of spinner Reema Malhotra's over -- the 32nd of the innings.

The two made most of the powerplay overs even though Greenway was dismissed in the process. England scored 45 runs in those five overs. Greenway's contribution was a quick 29 off 27 balls, which comprised of five fours.

Pacer Katherine Brunt also chipped in with 21 in 16 balls and struck four fours. England then lost a clutch of wickets quickly, but the middle order ensured that the overall score stood at fighting 270.

Indian pace spearhead Jhulan Goswami and Niranjana Nagrajan snapped up two wickets apiece, while left-arm spinner Gouher Sultana picked up a one.

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Million-dollar jackpot for Glenn Maxwell

CHENNAI: Little-known Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell was the only million-dollar buy in a low-key IPL players' auction where franchises opted to put their money on unheralded names instead of established stars, most of whom went unsold on Sunday.

Auction List: Sold Players | Batsmen | Bowlers | All-rounders | Wicket-keepers

The 24-year-old Maxwell stole the thunder grabbing a whopping $1 million (Rs 5.3 crore) deal with Mumbai Indians, while among the Indians, all-rounder Abhishek Nayar, and pacers R P Singh and Jaydev Unadkat invited unexpectedly high bids in the auction where only 37 of the 108 players in the fray managed to find buyers.

The giants of the game who failed evoke much interest from the franchises included Australian captain Michael Clarke and his predecessor Ricky Ponting. Both of them were marquee players but were sold on their base price of $400,000 (Rs 2.1 crore) to Pune Warriors and Mumbai Indians respectively.

In contrast, there was a fierce bidding war for Maxwell in which Mumbai pipped Hyderabad Sunrisers to clinch the player.

"He is an upcoming youngster. He can bat, bowl and I think he is a great fielder. We had thought of some names before we came here and he was one of them," said Mumbai owner Nita Ambani on the logic behind making such a high bid for the youngster, who is just eight ODIs and nine T20Is old in the international arena.

Currently playing against the West Indies in an ODI series, Maxwell was ironically out for a first-ball duck in Perth while franchises bid for him here.

India's uncapped domestic stars Jaydev Unadkat and Pankaj Singh were among the big gainers in what turned out to be a rather bizarre buying pattern which saw franchises opting mostly for untested players, who have not yet made a mark in the international arena.

South African all-rounder Christopher Morris, who has played just one Twenty20 international, quite literally struck gold at the auction by fetching $625,000 (Rs 3.3 crore) after starting with a measly base price of $20,000.

The 25-year-old Morris was bought by Chennai Super Kings after an intense three-way bidding war with Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The unusual pattern continued with little-known Sri Lankan off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake going much beyond his base price of $50,000.

The franchise that initially bid on him were Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings before Kolkata Knight Riders entered the fray to raise his price tag to $625,000 (Rs 3.3 crore) and snatch him from CSK.

Australian fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile was put on sale at a base price of $100,000 but went for $450,000 to Mumbai Indians, who outbid the Rajasthan Royals.

The 25-year-old is yet to make his international debut and currently turns up only for Western Australia and Perth Scorchers in his domestic circuit.

Another uncapped player who triggered a bidding war was promising Australian pacer Kane Richardson. The 21-year-old, whose base price was $100,00, was ultimately bought by Pune Warriors for $700,000 (Rs 3.7 crore).

Among the Indians, Jaydev was bought for $525,000 (Rs 2.7 crore) by Royal Challengers Bangalore, much higher than his base price of $100,000.

Pankaj, on the other hand, was taken by the same franchise for $150,000, a massive jump from his base price of $50,000.

Mumbai all-rounder Abhishek Nayar, who performed consistently in the domestic arena, went to Pune Warriors for $675,000 (Rs 3.5 crore), a huge improvement on his base price of $100,000.

Another Indian pacer who managed to get a good deal was Manpreet Gony, who went for $500,000 (Rs 2.6 crore) to Kings XI Punjab.

As the auction progressed, there were more surprises in store as the likes of Sri Lankan mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis and forgotten Australian pacer Dirk Nannes triggered bidding wars which fetched them price tags much more than their base prices.

Mendis was bought by Pune Warriors for $725,000 (Rs 3.8 crore). The bowler, who is no longer the formidable force that he was when he first broke into the scene, came to the auction with a modest base price of $50,000.

Nannes fetched a bid of $600,000 (Rs 3.1 crore) from the Chennai Super Kings, a massive hike from his base price of $200,00.

West Indies bowler Fidel Edwards was bought by Rajasthan Royals for $210,000 (Rs 1.1 crore), a good improvement from his base price of $100,000.

Sri Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera also fetched Rs 3.5 crore from Hyderabad Sunrisers, while Indian paceman R P Singh managed to get a good deal from Royal Challengers Bangalore, who bought him for $400,000 (Rs 2.1 crore).

It was a surprise given that his base price was $100,000 and he has not done anything significant to merit such a high price tag.

South African all-rounder Johan Botha was bought by Delhi Daredevils for $450,000 (Rs 2.3 crore).

Among others who would be smiling all the way to bank are Maxwell's compatriot Luke Pomersbach. The troubled player, who has battled alcoholism, fetched a deal of $300,000 (Rs 1.5 crore) with Kings XI Punjab. The 28-year-old batsman started with a base price of $50,000.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy was purchased by Hyderabad Sunrisers for $425,000 (Rs 2.2 crore), while Australian James Faulkner also had a good day at the auction with Rajasthan Royals shelling out $400,000 (Rs 2.1 crore) for him.

Among others who got good deals were Australia's Moises Henriques (sold for $300,000 to Royal Challengers Bangalore), temperamental New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder($260,000 to Delhi Daredevils).

Indian pacer Sudeep Tyagi and Kiwi Nathan McCullum were roped in by Hyderabad Sunrisers at their respective base prices of $100,000.

The all-rounders drew the franchises' interest with most of them getting decent packages.

But it it was disappointment for the wicketkeepers as just one of them, Quinton de Kcok (Hyderabad Sunrisers for $20,000), managed to find a buyer, that too in the final round.

The contracts offered at this year's auction are for just this season as all the players will go under the hammer next year.

The unsold list grew longer as the auction progressed with Australian Doug Bollinger and Sri Lankan Rangana Herath joining the prominent names who failed to evoke the franchises' interest.

South Africans Vernan Philander and Herschelle Gibbs, West Indian Darren Bravo, England's Ravi Bopara, Australians James Hopes, Matthew Wade and Tim Paine also failed to invite a single bid.

New Zealand's veteran all-rounder Jacob Oram, who went unsold in the initial bidding, was reselected and picked up by Mumbai Indians for his base price of $50,000.

Similar was the case of South African wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock who was bought by Hyderabad Sunrisers for his base price of $20,000.

Another comeback man was Australian all-rounder Daniel Christian who was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore at his base price of $100,000 in the final round of bidding.

Australian pacer Clint McKay was grabbed by Hyderabad Sunrisers in the final round for his base price of $100,000.

"We tried to maintain transparency. I don't think anybody has got any complaints to make," IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla said at the end of the proceedings.

The nine franchises spent a total of $11.89 million in auction. RCB bought as many as seven players, Sunrisers six, while Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians bought five players each.

Pune Warriors were content with buying four players, Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils picked up three each and Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab bought two each.

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South Korea thrash new-look India 4-1

NEW DELHI: South Korea took both the reverse singles to complete a 4-1 victory over depleted India in the Asia-Oceania group one first round Davis Cup tie in New Delhi on Sunday.

Jeong Suk-Young gave the Koreans an unbeatable 3-1 lead by outplaying Virali-Murugesan Ranjeet 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in the day's first match.

Nam Ji-Sung beat Vijayant Malik, the other Indian debutant, 6-2, 6-4 in the inconsequential fifth rubber that was reduced to best-of-three sets.

South Korea will now meet Japan in the second round in April, with the winner qualifying for the world group play-offs later in the year.

India play Indonesia, also in April, to remain in the regional group one.

India went into the tie with veteran Leander Paes as the only first-choice player after 11 team-mates refused to play following a dispute with the All India Tennis Association.

Somdev Devvarman, Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna were among the players who stayed away, leaving newcomers Ranjeet and Malik as the two singles players.

India's lone point in the tie had come through the doubles team of Paes and unheralded Purav Raja on Saturday.

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Carlos Tevez to exit Man City in summer

LONDON: Argentinian footballer Carlos Tevez will be leaving Manchester City in a major summer clear-out from the Premier League club.

Tevez, who is hoping for a return to South America, will be leaving Manchester City after the completion of his current contract at the club, which will be moving into its final year, the Mirror reports.

The striker would be joining players Edin Dzeko, Samir Nasri, Joleon Lescott, Scott Sinclair, Aleksandar Kolarov and Maicon in the clear-out from Manchester City, the paper added.

Dzeko and Nasri have not justified their huge transfer fees or wages, while there are no plans to offer Lescott a new contract as he enters the final 12 months of his current deal.

Roberto Mancini is already working with chief executive Ferran Soriano and director of football Txiki Begiristain on plans to rebuild the City squad.

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