ISL auction: Chhetri, Lyngdoh fetch a crore!

Ten of the country’s finest footballers went under the hammer at the Indian Super League Player Auction in Mumbai on Friday

Sunil Chhetri, India’s captain, bagged the highest offer, Rs 1.20 crore, from Mumbai City FC.

Midfielder Eugeneson Lyngdoh was a close second, winning a bid price of Rs 1.05 crore by FC Pune City.

Norma Godinho/Rediff.com brings you the details of Indian football's first-ever auction that touched the Rs 7.22 crore mark

Excitement filled the air at the first-ever Indian Super League 'Player Auction' for domestic footballers in Mumbai on Friday.

The latent talent of Indian football forced the eight franchisees that make up the League to bid fiercely for ten players who went under the hammer, thus kicking off the ISL's second season.

Pune FC broke the bank while making the day's first big purchase. They paid Rs 1.05 crore for Eugeneson Lyngdoh, only getting their man after some intense bidding.

With a base price of Rs 27.5 lakh, the Bengaluru FC player was in huge demand. FC Goa, Kerala Blasters and Atletico de Kolkata made the three opening bids for the player but the price kept rising steadily.

Pune finally had the central midfielder, who was among the star performers in last season's I-League, at nearly three times his base price.

“The price does not put me under any pressure,” said Lyngdoh, about his money spent on his acquisition.

“I want to give my best and hope we can achieve something more for the club. Just to be selected among the top 10 players in the country for this auction has given me a lot of confidence. It is good for my self-esteem,” the 28-year-old added.

As expected, India’s star striker Sunil Chhetri was the costliest buy, at Rs 1.20 crore. He was picked by Ranbir Kapoor’s Mumbai City FC.

Chhetri, 30, will play alongside Frenchman Nicolas Anelka, making it a mouth-watering combination upfront for the Mumbai team, which did not have the best of times in the inaugural season of the ISL.

India's captain, who has 87 international caps under his belt, was positive about the club’s change in fortunes in the second edition of the tournament.

“It’s a new day and there are new challenges. It’s a new season for Mumbai. I have played all over the world, this is my first time playing for Mumbai and I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

“To play with Anelka… I can’t wait for that. We saw what he did last season. I am looking forward to join him and with the team at training,” he added about his impending partnership with  the former Chelsea striker.

Like Lyngdoh, the poster boy of Indian football too missed the first season of the ISL as his I-League club, Bengaluru FC, did not release him, He was bought for Rs 1.20 crore by Mumbai City FC, in surprisingly low-key bidding involving only two of the eight teams - Mumbai and Delhi Dynamos.

“I have played for 13 years and money is not first priority,” affirmed Chhetri, whose base price was Rs 80 lakh.

Excited about his new role in Indian football, he said: “Due respect to I-League... this is fresh and professional.”

Winger Jackichand Singh, of I-League team Royal Wahingdoh, was the first player up for bidding (base price Rs 20 lakh) at the auction, conducted by Charlie Ross. After some intense bidding by four franchises and he was taken by Pune City FC for Rs 45 lakh.

The inaugural season’s champions Atletico de Kolkata successfully bid for defender Rino Anto, who had the lowest base price in the 10-player auction. The Rs 90 lakh that he got in the end was more than five times his base price of Rs 17.50 lakh.

Another player who fetched a much higher price -- more than twice his base price of Rs 39 lakh -- was midfielder Thoi Singh, who was in the fray as a free agent. He was sold to Chennayin FC for Rs 86 lakh after a hot fight with North East United and Mumbai City.

Central medio Arata Izumi (base price Rs 40 lakh) was clinched by ATK for Rs 68 lakh, striker Robin Singh (base price Rs 40 lakh) went to Delhi Dynamos for Rs 51 lakh while winger Seityasen Singh (base price Rs 20 lakh) was successfully bid for by North East United for Rs 56 lakh.

Defender Anas Edathodika was bought for Rs 41 lakh, just a lakh above his base price, by Delhi Dynamos in lukewarm bidding, while Chennayin FC were the lone bidders for the services of goalkeeper Karanjeet Singh at his base prize of Rs 60 lakh.

Karanjeet had the second-best base prize at the auction.

While Atletico, Chennayin, Pune and Delhi secured two players each, Mumbai and North East bought one each, while Goa FC and Kerala Blasters were unsuccessful at picking any player at the auction.

Details of the players and auction bid price: