As it happened: 2018 Indian Premier League auction

Ish Sodhi. Photo / Getty

All the action from the opening stages of the 2018 Indian Premier League Auction.

The biggest shock came when Ish Sodhi, the number one Twenty20 bowler in the world, was unsold at his base price of NZ $107,000.

That followed a similar lack of success for fellow bowlers Tim Southee and Mitchell McClenaghan, who also went unsold.

A total of 578 players, including 24 New Zealanders, go under the hammer in Bengaluru from 4.30pm (9am local time), split across two days.

The event guarantees drama with its penchant for Machiavellian politicking as the trajectories of cricketing careers are decided with - or without - the bang of a gavel. Franchises try to throw rival teams off the scent by pitching for players who might not interest them, hoping word gets back. They then target alternative signings, thus aiming to get a bargain in the absence of a bidding war.

As the No.1 ranked country in Twenty20s, the New Zealand contingent's curriculum vitae bulges with talent.

A player would have to be Pinocchio to claim the money is of no consequence to their financial future.

The Black Caps have the No.1 batsman (Colin Munro) and bowler (Ish Sodhi) in the T20 rankings, two more batsmen in the top 11 (Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill) and two more bowlers in the top 13 (Mitchell Santner and Trent Boult).

Credibility relates to players' past performances in India. It will help that New Zealand played ODIs and T20s there in October and November, and that the 2017-18 Burger King Super Smash was broadcast into Indian living rooms for the first time.

Other domestic T20 franchise cricket and past IPLs dominate owners' thinking more than the international arena, but New Zealand has every chance of improving on last year's record of 11 contracts.

New Zealand's 2017 presence was weighted in favour of pace bowlers with Trent Boult (Kolkata Knight Riders), Matt Henry (Kings XI Punjab), Lockie Ferguson (Rising Pune Supergiant), Adam Milne (Royal Challengers Bangalore) and Tim Southee and McClenaghan (Mumbai Indians) involved.

Colin de Grandhomme (KKR) and Anderson (Delhi Daredevils) flew the New Zealand all-rounder flag, while Williamson (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Guptill (KXIP) and Brendon McCullum (Gujarat Lions) had batting gigs.

Those numbers could expand.