English hopes were dashed at Saturday morning's Indian Premier League auction as James Anderson, Graeme Swann, Ian Bell and Matt Prior all went unsold.

Anderson was first to learn his fate, ignored at his base price of 300,000 US dollars, almost as soon as the process began in Bangalore.

Bell and Prior soon followed suit, as did a clutch of other English players before off-spinner Graeme Swann - with a reserve of 400,000 dollars - was also disappointed.

Test batsman Ravi Bopara and limited-overs international all-rounder Luke Wright were unsold too, as was Ireland's big-hitter Kevin O'Brien - despite his astounding World Cup hundred to help beat England in Bangalore last year.

Saturday's IPL wipe-out for England's best means only Stuart Broad, Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan - already contracted to franchises - will be playing in India in the window between forthcoming Test series in Sri Lanka and at home to West Indies.

India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was the costliest player in the auction as the Chennai Super Kings paid more than 2million dollars to outbid the Deccan Chargers for his services.

Jadeja, who starred for the now defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala last season, attracted fierce bidding with both Chennai and Deccan offering the maximum amount, forcing a tie-breaker which Chennai won with an undisclosed bid.

Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene was sold to the Delhi Daredevils for 1.4million US dollars and India's Vinay Kumar also fetched seven figures as he was sold to Royal Challengers Bangalore for 1million US dollars.

New Zealand's Brendon McCullum went to the Kolkata Knight Riders for US$ 900,000, but the biggest surprise was the sale of West Indian spinner Sunil Narine to Kolkata for US$ 700,000.

The 23-year-old, who had a reserve price of just US$50,000, has only one ODI cap to his name, having never played international Test or T20 cricket,

But he starred in the 2011 Champions League, taking 10 wickets at an average of 10.50, and his form clearly made him the hot property in today's auction.

Also among those unsold were VVS Laxman, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Darren Bravo,

The IPL begins on April 4.