Heading into Thursday's Hockey India League auction, all the talk was on Sardar Singh and Jamie Dwyer. The Indian hockey captain and Dwyer, an Australian veteran for 15 years, were expected to be lapped up by the franchises in a big way, but the script didn't unfold that way.
Young Akashdeep Singh smiled all the way to the bank with a cheque for USD 84,000 (approximately 5.5 million INR) while Germany's Moritz Fuerste became the first player in the history of the Hockey India League to breach the USD 100,000 barrier.
With new goal-scoring rules to come into play from season 4 of Hockey India League, the onus was clearly on youth and firepower. The teams showed vision while preparing their mandatory 20-man squads.
Sardar and Dwyer thus lost out to younger, stronger and skillful players. Sardar, whose base price was USD 20,000 went for just USD 58,000 to Jaypee Punjab Warriors while Dwyer, whose base price was USD 30,000, was bought by Uttar Pradesh Wizards for only USD 57,000.
Fuerste, who was a member of the German Team that won the gold medal at 2008 Summer Olympics, 2012 Summer Olympics and 2006 World Cup, was picked by Kalinga Lancers for a whopping USD 105,000 (Rs 69,46, 289).
Besides Fuerste, German striker Florian Fuchs was picked up by Dabang Mumbai for USD 96,000 (Rs 63,53,336) against his base price of USD 20,000. German midfielder Tobias Hauke was purchased by Uttar Pradesh Wizards for USD 96,000 (Rs 63,53,336) against his base price of USD 25,000.
(With inputs from PTI)