Aussies demand top dollar at IPL auction

Australians Mitchell Johnson and Pat Cummins will be among the seven most expensive players available at the Indian Premier League player auction in a fortnight, while spinner Nathan Lyon will also carry one of the highest price tags.

The auction for the 2017 IPL will be held on February 20 and seven star players have listed themselves at the highest base price of approximately $AUD390,000.

Quick Single: BBL 'All Stars' heading to the IPL

Retired quick Johnson, who starred in the recent KFC Big Bash League, and Cummins are the two Australians among the seven, along with English trio Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes and Eoin Morgan as well as Indian quick Ishant Sharma and Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews.

Lyon and retired Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin have listed themselves at the second-highest base price of around $AUD290,000, along with England's Jonny Bairstow, New Zealand's Trent Boult, South Africa's Kyle Abbott and West Indies skipper Jason Holder.

More than 750 players from around the world have registered for the auction, although only a maximum of 76 players, including 28 from overseas, can be bought. Although not all players released - notably Englishman Kevin Pietersen, who has already announced he won't play in the tournament - are guaranteed to enter the auction.

In December, it was announced that the IPL franchises had retained a total of 140 players and released 89 from last season, with the 89 uncontracted players available to enter themselves in the auction.

Quick Single: KP, 10 Aussies released by IPL franchises

Seventeen Australian players were retained by their respective franchises, while 10 were released and could be available in the auction.

Each team can have a maximum of 27 players in their squad, including nine from overseas.

Australians already contracted for the 2017 IPL (17)

Rising Pune Supergiants
Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Adam Zampa

Gujurat Lions
James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, AJ Tye

Kings XI Punjab
Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis

Kolkata Knight Riders
Chris Lynn

Royal Challengers Bangalore
Travis Head, Mitchell Starc, Shane Watson

Sunrisers Hyderabad
Ben Cutting, Moises Henriques, David Warner

Australians released following 2016 IPL (10)

George Bailey, Scott Boland, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Peter Handscomb, John Hastings, Brad Hogg, Mitchell Johnson, Joel Paris, Kane Richardson, Shaun Tait