Monday's Indian Premier League auction wasn't short of surprises, with a host of fresh faces winning themselves some lucrative deals for what amounts to essentially six week's work.
Here are the top 10 earners from this year's auction. (All prices in NZD)
10. Thangarasu Natarajan - $628,000
One of the auction's biggest surprises, the left-arm medium pacer made his name on the backblocks of the Indian domestic league, taking just four wickets through five first class T20 matches at a bowling average of 33.44 before being picked up by King's XI Punjab.
9. Karn Sharma – $670,000
The 29-year-old leg spinner was the highest paid uncapped Indian player back in 2014, earning himself an international debut back in 2014.
A veteran of the T20 format, Sharma has taken 81 wickets at an average of 25.40.
8. Nathan Coulter-Nile - $732,000
The towering Australian fast-bowler stamped his mark on the limited overs scene in both the Big Bash league and the IPL.
The new Kolkata Knight Riders recruit swings a heavy bat at the end of the order, and is a highly-regarded fielder.
7. Rashid Khan - $837,500
Making his international debut at just 17 years of age, Khan becomes the first Afghanistan player to appear in the IPL where he'll ply his unique brand of miserly leg break bowling.
6. Chris Woakes - $879,200
The explosive all-rounder has been tearing through bowling line-ups on the English county cricket scene and was snapped up hastily by the Knight Riders.
5. Pat Cummins - $938,180
Cummins has had his injury troubles over the past few years but looks to be on track during the 2016/17 summer, securing a place in the Australian team followed by being picked up the Delhi Daredevils.
4. Trent Boult - $1.04 million
New Zealand's newest sporting millionaire, Trent Boult has enjoyed a great past two years as the Blackcaps number one paceman.
Sitting only behind South Africa's Imran Tahir on ICC's one-day-international bowling rankings, Boult will join Woakes at the Kolkata Knight Riders.
3. Kagiso Rabada - $1.04 million
At just 21-years-old, Kagiso Rabada has cemented himself in the South African side as well as shot up to the ICC top 10 bowlers in both the ODI and the Test formats.
His quick, high motion means he bowls regularly above the 140kph which will be an asset to the Delhi Daredevils.
2. Tymal Mills - $2.5 million
A peculiar pick for the second highest paid player in the IPL considering Mills has played less than a handful of games for the English International T20 side.
Not playing any ODI or Test matches means Mills will come to the Royal Challengers Bangalore with a little bit of mystery.
1. Ben Stokes - $3.2 million
Unexpected but certainly not unsurprising as over the past 18 months, Ben Stokes has announced himself as one of the premier allrounders in world cricket.
The ability to bat in the middle order as well as bowl over 130kph will definitely be useful to the Rising Pune Supergiants.
