Saina, one among the six icon players whose base price was set at USD 50,000 (Rs 29,70,482), had stated that she would prefer to be either in Hyderabad or Lucknow with a slight tilt towards her hometown. Her wish was fulfilled with Hyderabad picking her up after making a bid of USD 120,000 (Rs 71,27,796 approx). But it was Malaysian icon Lee Chong Wei, who got the franchises really excited, triggering a bidding war between Mumbai Masters and the Delhi Smashers.

Saina Nehwal. Pic/ AFP