ISL auction: Sunil Chhetri and Eugeneson Lyngdoh are now millionaires

India football captain Sunil Chhetri has become the biggest earner at the first-ever Indian Super League (ISL) auction in Mumbai on Friday, going to Mumbai City FC for Rs 1.20 crore. Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Rino Anto fetched amounts far above their base prices.

Chhetri, 31, was bought at Rs 40 lakh above his base price of Rs 80 lakh. The India skipper would play alongside former French international Nicholas Anelka up front, reported PTI.

Central midfielder Lyngdoh, among the star performers in last season's I-League for Bengaluru FC, went to Pune City FC for Rs 1.5 crore. The amount was more than three times his base price of Rs 27.5 lakh after six teams were involved in an intense bidding war to get his services.

The first two were sold in the first part of the two-stage auction process while defender Anto was successfully bid and bought for Rs 90 lakh by last year's tournament winners Atletico de Kolkata, which was more than five times his base price of Rs 17.5 lakh.

Meanwhile, Anto had the lowest base prize in the 10-player auction.

Midfielder Thoi Singh also fetched a much higher price, more than twice his base price of Rs 39 lakh. He took part as a free agent, who was sold to Chennayin FC for 86 lakh after an aggressive fight with North East United and Mumbai City.

Winger Jackichand Singh, of I-League team Royal Wahingdoh, was the first player to be bid for in the auction that saw a hot race featuring four teams and was finally won by Pune City FC with a clinching bid of Rs 45 lakh -- more than twice his base price of Rs 20 lakh.

Central medio Arata Izumi (base price Rs 40 lakh) was clinched by ATK for Rs 68 lakh, striker Robin Singh (base price Rs 40 lakh) went to Delhi Dynamos for Rs 51 lakh while winger Seityasen Singh (base price Rs 20 lakh) was successfully bid for by North East United for Rs 56 lakh.

Defender Anas Edathodika was bought for Rs 41 lakh, just one lakh above his base price, by Delhi Dynamos in a lukewarm bidding, while Chennayin FC were the lone bidders to buy the services of goalkeeper Karanjeet Singh at his base prize of Rs 60 lakh.

Karanjeet had the second-best base prize at the auction.

(Image: Indiatimes)