Watson fetches top price

Australian all-rounder Shane Watson received the highest bid of USD 1.4 million while banished England star Kevin Pietersen was sold to a new franchise at a glitzy Indian Premier League auction Saturday.

Watson was sold to Royal Challengers Bangalore for 95 million rupees (1.4 million dollars), more than four times his reserve price in the first round of marquee bidding in the southern Indian city of Bangalore.

"Incredibly excited to join (RCB). Can't wait to meet up with my new team-mates in April," Watson tweeted.

Pietersen was bought for USD 515,000 by Rising Pune Supergiants, one of the two new teams in this year's tournament that will be played from April 9 to May 29 across various Indian cities.

The Gujarat Lions, based in the western city of Rajkot, is the other new entrant following the two-year suspension of the Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings over a corruption scandal.