England allrounder Ben Stokes attracted the highest price of $1.96 million in the early sales at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction on Saturday, despite uncertainty over his availability.
The Rajasthan Royals’ winning bid was $200,000 less than the record price Rising Pune Supergiant paid for him last season.
It still topped the early bids, even though it is not certain Stokes will be able to play in the lucrative tournament after he was charged with affray following a fight outside a nightclub in Bristol last year.
The 26-year-old is due to appear in court on February 13 after being charged over the incident.
The IPL will run from April 7 to May 27.
One of the best performers last season, Stokes attracted bids from several franchises in the eight-team Twenty20 league before the gavel finally came down on Rajasthan.
The Royals are returning to the competition after a two-year ban for match-fixing.
England’s Test captain Joe Root, entering the IPL auction for the first time, failed to attract any bids.
West Indian Chris Gayle, one of the IPL’s star performers over the past decade, also went unsold in the first round.
