The one-day leg of England's tour to New Zealand was nearing its end and the Indian Premier League (IPL) was becoming a topic of dressing-room conversation. International cricket is a tight community and the extravagant fees pledged for players even some way below world class made for lively gossip. Dimitri Mascarenhas joined in those chats, all the time holding back a piece of information that would have stunned his colleagues.

For Mascarenhas, the IPL had moved from being a theoretical option in the distant future to something more tangible. Within days of the mind-boggling first auction, Shane Warne, assessing the initial round of purchases made by the Jaipur franchise he was assigned to captain and coach, had phoned his friend to set a deal in motion.

“I felt I could not really speak to any of the England management or players specifically about the approach,” Mascarenhas said. “I am sure the other guys had people asking them if they were interested, as well. When you see the millions of dollars on offer to Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Andrew Symonds, players are not just going to go, ‘So what?' It was a huge talking point.”

By the time that Mascarenhas arrived in Perth for a holiday, Warne had spoken to the men behind Rajasthan Royals to confirm that they would take Mascarenhas in the second auction. Thus began a train of calls and e-mails between the player and his agent, Dave Ligertwood, and Rod Bransgrove, the Hampshire chairman. Bargaining soon moved beyond the coming summer to future seasons. “I wanted to play for the full six weeks,” Mascarenhas said. “But that was never going to happen and, eventually, we reached a compromise. Rod held all the cards. He knew that I could not go without Hampshire's permission.”

In contrast, Bransgrove thought that Mascarenhas was in the stronger position because his contract was due to expire at the end of the season. “There was no threat to leave,” Mascarenhas, who has succeeded Warne as Hampshire captain, said. “I would never say that and, if Rod had said no, I would have stayed anyway ... I think we are both fairly happy with the outcome.”

Mascarenhas is to spend May 12 to 26 in Jaipur this year, but will play throughout the 2009 and 2010 tournaments.

After the excitement surrounding the first auction, the second was relatively low-key. “A lot of the franchises had almost spent up,” Mascarenhas said. “I worked out that the most I could get if somebody else wanted me and the bidding went up was $240,000 [about £115,000]. I felt quite nervous. On the day, I was just south of Perth and I kept ringing my brother to find out if there was any news until something came up on the internet.”

Mascarenhas went for a modest $100,000, but, with payment on a pro rata basis, he stands to make less than £20,000 this season. “Not a killing at all,” he said. “Really, it is the experience of being there that grabs me. If I do well, there is the opportunity to earn more next year ... Being in New Zealand around the first auction was funny because we heard that their players were listening as things happened. Brendon McCullum went for $700,000, Jacob Oram for $675,000, Dan Vettori for $625,000 and then Scott Styris for only $175,000.”

The Royals may have picked up a bargain. Mascarenhas completed a maiden one-day fifty against India from 36 balls in Bristol, then hit successive sixes from the last five balls of the innings at the Brit Oval and hoisted Jeetan Patel for four in a row in Auckland in February. International cricket came relatively late, at the age of 29, but, like Ryan Sidebottom, he arrived in command of his own game.

“I think I was ready two or three years ago,” he said. “I was as good then as I am now. My bowling has been consistent pretty much through my career, but my batting really took shape around 2005. Warney told me I had to give myself a chance, not just go out and hit every ball. I know exactly what I am doing now and that is half the battle in one-day cricket.”

Under the Duncan Fletcher regime, Mascarenhas had been told by David Graveney that his bowling was too slow to be effective. “As soon as Peter Moores came in, I thought, ‘This is my chance,'” he said. “Probably a lot of other guys thought that, too. Sidebottom should have played a long time ago.”

Mascarenhas has said that some of England's centrally contracted players will “definitely” feature in the IPL in future years, but that was before he heard the announcement that the 2009 tournament would run from April 10 to May 29. “A clash with the English season would make it harder for them,” he said. “The ECB can tell them to rest or play for their counties. For the others, it is up to the counties and they may help their players because it is such a good opportunity. I know that the IPL want more English players. I think non-contracted players will go, like Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara. Luke Wright is a good hitter and, perhaps, Chris Tremlett.”

Mascarenhas says that he has not received a single derogatory comment. From Geoff Miller, the national selector, down the reaction has been supportive. “I do not know what to expect,” he said. “But if you look at the players and the companies involved, I do not see how it can fail.”

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