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In 2008 some IPL teams were assigned 'Icon Players' who were from their home city: Sachin to MI, Dravid to RCB, Ganguly to KKR, Yuvi to KXIP & Sehwag to DD (on request). Icons were paid 15% more than the team's most expensive purchase at the auction. (1/2)
VVS was originally assigned as Deccan Chargers' icon. However, VVS reportedly rejected his icon status to allow DC to spend more on other players. In return he was appointed DC captain after being sold to them for $375,000 - around $500k less than he may have received as an icon.
DC's most expensive player signed at the 2008 auction (with the additional purse) was Andrew Symonds - sold for $1.35 million (only Dhoni at $1.5 mil cost more). In the 2009 IPL Symonds scored 249 runs at a SR of 148 & took 7 wickets at an ER of 6.66 & helped DC win the title.
It is unlikely that Deccan Chargers would have been able to pay that much for Symonds (or indeed RP Singh, Rohit, Gilchrist & others) if VVS had not rejected his icon status. It was a selfless move that contributed to them winning the IPL the following year.
The IPL—especially in the early years—was criticised as being defined by greed & money, but the first two title winners (RR won in 2008 after spending the least at the auction) owed as much to smarts & selflessness as they did to indiscriminate spending. Something to think about.
