Happy to Play for Mohali - Sangakara

The IPL auctions last week confirmed the arrival of a new era in cricket. Like the Packer revolution of the 1970s that ushered in modern one-day cricket and breathed much-needed life into the game, the Indian Premier League in April and May this year means that world cricket will never be the same again. There are cynics who fear the fabric of the game may be under threat, but I'm convinced that the IPL will be a huge success.

I think we were all surprised by the vast sums paid for players in Mumbai. We knew the IPL was big business and we knew there was a chance of our minimum guarantees being surpassed. But with all the rules and complexity surrounding the auction, it was difficult to predict what would happen. However, when the news of the early bidding started to filter through to us we were astonished.

But clearly a great deal of thought went into the buying strategies of the different franchises. The high price tag on all-rounders and multi-skilled cricketers made sense, as did the stampede for India's more marketable players. Fortunately, wicket-keeper batsmen were also in demand so I managed to get a decent fee. The franchise interest in non-international guys like Cameron White, who are proven T20 performers, was also smart.