2013 Hockey India League players' auction for an Indian player was 2,800 and for overseas player was 5,000 under which franchise owners could not bid. The franchise owners made silent bids for each of the five marquee players before the actual auction begun. Hockey India then revealed which marquee player will lead which franchise based on the maximum bids by all the owners. Each team's marquee player got a contract worth at least 115 per cent of the highest successful bid for a player of that team in the auction if the silent bid is not worth more than this amount. Sandeep Singh was bought by
Australian cricket team in India in 2000–01 was depleted, without leading leg spinner Anil Kumble. On the spinning tracks of India, this left them at a disadvantage, with the other spinners who had filled the void during the earlier part of the season being Sunil Joshi, Sarandeep Singh and Murali Kartik, all having played less than 10 Tests each. Harbhajan Singh, whose previous best Test figures were only 3/30, was entrusted with a heavy burden, having been recalled at the behest of captain Sourav Ganguly after previous instances of indiscipline. He was to lead the spin attack against an Australian team which had set a world record