It`s a life changing event for me: Corey Anderson on his IPL bid

Wellington: New Zealand`s latest cricket sensation Corey Anderson could not believe his luck that he has been snapped up by IPL champions Mumbai Indians for Rs 4.5 crore at the players` auction in Bangalore today and described his handsome price as a "life changing event".

Anderson, who scored the fastest ODI century smashing a 36-ball ton to breach the record of Shahid Afridi set in 1996, expectedly got a decent package of Rs 4.5 crore though there were speculations that he would emerge as the highest money spinner at the IPL 7 auction held at Bangalore today. "I thought it was crazy. To see it unfold in front of your eyes, it felt like a little game you might play with your mates then you have to pinch yourself and realise that it`s real money they`re throwing around. It hasn`t sunk in yet," Anderson was quoted as saying by the stuff.Co.Nz. "It`s pretty surreal. Watching the auction all unfold, it`s hard to explain. There`s times when you think you`re going to get picked up and times you`re not too sure. You see people who aren`t picked up and wonder why, then guys are picked up for more than what you might think," he said. "Hopefully I`ll get some sleep then get ready for training. It`s a life changing event and pretty exciting," he said. The 23-year-old all-rounder followed his first IPL auction over the internet at the team`s Wellington hotel, with bowling coach Shane Bond, physiotherapist Paul Close and security officer Sam Dickason. The congratulatory texts and calls soon started to pour for Anderson ahead of the second cricket Test against India at the Basin Reserve beginning this Friday. Anderson`s fortunes were pushed at the auction from his starting base price of Rs 1 crore when a three-way fight broke out between Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Daredevils and a late entrant Sunrisers Hyderabad. But it was the Mumbai outfit which eventually got Anderson, who will now joins the likes of Twenty20 big guns Sri Lanka`s Lasith Malinga and West Indies` Kieron Pollard in a team captained by Rohit Sharma. Anderson was one of five New Zealanders picked up on the opening day of the auction, along side captain Brendon McCullum, Tim Southee, Jimmy Neesham and Matt Henry. McCullum attracted bids from Mumbai before he was fetched by Chennai Super Kings for Rs 3.25 crore. Chennai also bought paceman Henry for Rs 30 lakhs late in the auction, while Neesham went for Rs 1 crore to Delhi Daredevils and Southee for Rs 1.2 crore to Rajasthan Royals. However, New Zealand`s hard-hitting batsman Ross Taylor failed to attract a buyer at his base price of Rs 2 crore. Other New Zealand cricketers who missed the bus are Jesse Ryder, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Luke Ronchi, Martin Guptill, Hamish Rutherford, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Jacob Oram and James Franklin.