Cameron Green rewrote the record books as the costliest overseas player in IPL history at INR 25.20 crore. Matheesha Pathirana, discarded by Chennai Super Kings at INR 13 crore, struck gold as Sri Lanka's highest-earning cricketer with a INR 18-crore payday. Mustafizur Rahman scaled new peaks among Bangladesh cricketers with a deal worth INR 9.2 crore. Liam Livingstone, released at INR 8.75 crore, found a buyer at INR 13 crore, while Josh Inglis, committed for only four games, still secured a INR 8.6 crore package.

For a while, it seemed set up as a night for overseas stars to dominate the headlines. Until Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer and Auqib Nabi Dar arrived and flipped the script.

A small auction? Ask Kolkata Knight Riders, ask Chennai Super Kings, and ask Arun Singh Dhumal. Few would argue there was anything "mini" about it. The IPL only grew bigger for the lesser-known and unheralded players as the day unfolded at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

"Whatever we were wanting to achieve with this auction, we have got it. The kind of reward that Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma got is phenomenal, unimaginable, unprecedented. Going forward it will give a lot of motivation to all the youngsters," gushed Arun Singh Dhumal, the IPL chairman, in conversation with select media.

The INR 14.20 crore bids for Veer and Sharma are the highest ever for uncapped players in IPL history. Dar was not far behind at INR 8.40 crore. Veer, Sharma and Dar were suddenly the toast of the nation.

Heading into the auction, Chennai Super Kings had a purse of INR 43.4 crore, the second largest among the franchises. Many expected them to chase established IPL and international names. Instead, they surprised observers by turning to the domestic circuit for hitherto unknown talent.

Sharma had been part of the CSK camp last year, where he was first identified, while Veer was spotted during the UP Premier League. Undeterred by fierce resistance from rival teams, CSK pushed on and backed their convictions.

AR Srikkanth, the franchise's scout, was at the forefront of the process. "He is the boss," CSK coach Stephen Fleming said, crediting Srikkanth for unearthing talent from the domestic circuit.

"I just wonder if we are now seeing the true product of T20 cricket coming to the fore," Fleming noted. "It certainly started last year, maybe even the year before. Earlier, my view was that experience would win. But now you're seeing fearless athletes who've grown up on T20 cricket and possess a skill set that is mouth-watering."

Even Akash Ambani, the owner of Mumbai Indians, was struck by the depth of domestic talent on show. "Generally very, very happy for the uncapped players. They should remember that the auction is a place of demand and supply and not wear the price on their head because it's about when your name comes up and what slots teams are looking to fill.

"From that perspective, I really wish them all the best. They are extremely talented players, all of the ones that went above generally average prices of uncapped players over the years. It's just demand and supply, and the timing and situation of the auction," Ambani said.

Mumbai Indians, with only INR 2.75 crore in their kitty, spent most of the auction on the sidelines. Ambani, however, said he was not bored even for a second watching domestic talent take centre stage.

Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani offered another perspective on the spending spree. "Every side has to spend that kind of money, INR 120 crore. No side wants to take that money home and say, 'you know what, I've had a saving and I'm happy with that.' Everyone here wants to spend the money.

"Everyone wants to make sure they have the players they want. No franchise is shying away from spending money. Everyone is happy to go back home with a little balance. And with the way the game has gone, for younger players there is no baggage."

Badani's Delhi Capitals shelled out INR 8.40 crore for Dar, a little-known pacer from Jammu and Kashmir, capping a landmark day for domestic cricketers in IPL history.

If there was a closing thought to the day, it came from Dhumal, who views the outcome as a direct result of the rise of State T20 leagues. For a bowler like Dar from Jammu and Kashmir to command more than INR 8 crore, it marked not just personal reward but validation of the system.

"That means whatever we aimed to achieve has filtered through the system, with State leagues identifying talent, giving players opportunities, and teams using their scouting networks to observe these youngsters and provide them a platform," he said. "It truly embodies the tagline: 'Where talent meets opportunity.' This is a platform that delivers exactly that, and I am very happy with the outcome."