IS Bindra: "This is the second-most landmark event in the history of world cricket" © Getty Images

During the lunch break, while close to 100 people (agents, actors, CEOs, players etc) discussed events, IS Bindra, member of the IPL governing council, had interesting things to say.

He reckons he has not seen anything quite like this auction in 30 years of his association with cricket – even the on-field action has failed to excite him as much. He went on to praise the free-economy principle which helps the market determine the players’ price and not the selectors or selection committees. But in the same breath he had to wish there was no monopoly on the access to what was happening inside. “I really wish you could have seen it live,” Bindra told reporters.

“It’s my privilege to be associated with something that is unique in world cricket. I have never seen anything so riveting and so absorbing and so exciting even on the field. It’s amazing drama.”

He was pretty optimistic about how the IPL has kickstarted. “The way IPL is coming up, and the overwhelming media presence is a sign that IPL has taken off.”

Only time will tell if Bindra got carried away a bit in saying this: “We are taking domestic cricket to an altogether new plane. This is a milestone in the history of Indian cricket, the biggest landmark event since 1994 when we had the wave freed from the clutches of Doordarshan’s monopoly … This is the second-most landmark event in the history of world cricket.”

Incidentally the Duleep Trophy final is on in Mumbai, in which Rajat Bhatia and Yashpal Singh are leading North Zone’s revival against West Zone. Now that’s Indian domestic cricket.