Indian badminton star Saina Nehwal was the favourite player to be auctioned for the Indian Badminton League, which will have six franchises with 11 players each, and has been sold at a price of 120,000 dollars to her home team Hyderabad Hotshots.
According to sources, the costliest player proved to be China's Lee Chong Wei, who was sold at a price of 135,000 dollars to Mumbai Masters.
Pullela Gopichand expressed his happiness at the way the auction was being conducted and said that the Indian players would gain a lot after being exposed to foreign coaches and playing with foreign players.
Tennis star Sania Mirza also showed her support for the badminton league, adding that her heart was with Hyderabad and she would be rooting for the team, even as she was signed as brand ambassador for Delhi Smashers.