It's the IPL 2020 auction. The highlight has so far been Pat Cummins selling for INR 15.5 crore (US$ 2.2 million approx.), the highest price an overseas cricketer has commanded at the IPL - ever. Here are some of the talking points and other highlights - and lowlights - from the goings-on in Kolkata.

Knight Riders break the bank for Cummins

Cummins became the most expensive overseas buy in IPL history when Kolkata Knight Riders bought him after a scrap with Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals. All right, not so much a scrap, really, because Capitals and Royal Challengers went tooth-and-nail for the first part before Knight Riders waded in and had their man.

Sunrisers get India's Under-19 World Cup captain

While Royals made a late entry to the bid for Mumbai's Yashasvi Jaiswal, who recently became the youngest to hit a List A double-century, and got him for INR 2.4 crore (US$ 338,000 approx.), which was 12 times his base price, Sunrisers Hyderabad shelled out a lot of money on more lesser-known players: India's Under-19 World Cup captain Priyam Garg and 22-year-old Virat Singh, the Jharkhand batsman. The same two teams bid for them and Sunrisers beat Kings XI both times, for INR 1.9 crore each (US$ 267,000 approx.).

Fast bowlers get the big money

The second round saw big money being spent on the fast bowlers, especially Nathan Coulter-Nile and Sheldon Cottrell. Coulter-Nile was another Australian to fetch big money as Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings fought over him. He quickly became a millionaire and then went to Mumbai for a massive INR 8 crore (US$ 1.1 million approx.). Cottrell's bid saw a fierce three-way fight between Rajasthan Royals, Capitals and Kings XI. His bid also went on for long and became a battle between Kings XI and Capitals. Kings XI finally pouched the West Indian for INR 8.5 crore (US$ 1.2 million approx.). Royals bid again for Indian left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat and were given a bit of competition by Kings XI but eventually got him back for INR 3 crore (US$ 422,530 approx.).

Australians in big demand

Cummins was certainly not the first Australian to attract interest. Before him, in fact, Glenn Maxwell was picked up by Kings XI Punjab for INR 10.75 crore (US$ 1.5 million approx.). Royal Challengers picked up Australia opener Aaron Finch for INR 4.4 crore (US$ 620,000 approx.) after winning a bidding war against Knight Riders.

Varun, Chawla in high demand

Varun Chakravarthy, the mystery spinner who was the joint-most expensive buy last season, picked up an injury after just one match last IPL. That remains the only game he has played in more than 12 months and it would not have been surprising if no one wanted him this time, or spent a small amount on him. But Knight Riders and Royal Challengers did not think so. They took his price up, up, and away to INR 4 crore (US$ 563,000 approx.), when Knight Riders got him on board.

Piyush Chawla, meanwhile, is 31 and not among the top spinners in the country, and had been released by Knight Riders recently. This time, he got INR 6.75 crore (US$ 0.95 million approx.) from Super Kings, who also have Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir, Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner in their spin contingent. Mumbai opened the bid for Chawla but soon dropped out as Kings XI joined in, but they stopped after a while too, and Super Kings got their man.

More to follow...