"It feels like a computer game, almost not real" - Mark Wood on his lucrative IPL contract

England fast bowler Mark Wood expressed his surprise at how high his bidding amount went in the IPL 2022 mega auction. The right-arm speedster said he watched the auction intently with his wife and that it felt like a computer game.

The 32-year old, who set his base price at ₹2 crores, attracted bids from a handful of franchises. The likes of Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians went for him, with Lucknow having the final say. LSG signed him for a jaw-dropping ₹7.5 crores.

In an interview with the Guardian, Wood stated that he and his wife speculated ecstatically about the amount in pounds. However, the Durham paceman said such amounts almost didn't feel real and took time to sink in.

"As soon as the final amount was confirmed, Sarah asked what it was in pounds - I might have to freeze all our accounts so it doesn't disappear. But we're delighted. It's a weird experience. It feels like a computer game - almost not real, like transfers on Football Manager - but it's also very real when you get signed."

Wood continued by saying:

"Harry was meant to sleep in the car but just conked out on the sofa before my name came up. I remember Sarah shouting - but also whispering - 'Get back here now', as I was putting some dishes in the sink. After a quiet start to the bidding, suddenly it moved fast and the numbers went up."

The right-arm pacer joins the fast-bowling cartel, comprising Dushmanta Chameera, Avesh Khan, Jason Holder and Ankit Rajpoot. It's worth noting that it will be his second franchise in the IPL as Wood played for the Chennai Super Kings in the 2018 edition, but featured in only one game.

"We were about to go away for the weekend for a wedding anniversary" - Mark Wood

The veteran further claimed that the timeline of the IPL auction clashed with other plans and that the auctioneer's illness shook them. He added:

"We were about to go away for the weekend for a wedding anniversary I missed in Australia but the IPL auctioneer falling ill on stage paused everything and delayed us setting off."

The 32-year old will head to the West Indies to participate in the three-Test series. He is likely to spearhead the bowling attack in the absence of James Anderson and Stuart Broad.