PANAJI, India (AP)

England's Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff became the latest members of cricket's get-rich-quick club yesterday, fetching record salaries of $1.55 million each at the Indian Premier League player auction.

The second edition of the auction for India's Twenty20 league saw the England pair receive record per-season salaries despite being available for only half of the upcoming six-week competition.

Flintoff was snapped up by Chennai Super Kings, which last year set the previous record of $1.5 million for India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Bangalore's Royal Challengers secured Pietersen on a day in which a total of $7.65 million in salaries was bid for 17 players.

eagerness

Bangalore's owner, Vijay Mallya, said he was prepared to pay even more for Pietersen, illustrating the eagerness of the franchise to find a catalyst after last year's poor season.

"It was a very worthwhile investment. Kevin topped our wish list going into the auction," Mallya told reporters.

"Team balance was important and Kevin was certainly important in maintaining that balance."

Flintoff's bowling will be of particular use for Chennai, which boasts a strong batting line-up.

"Flintoff's an outstanding all-rounder whom we targeted to improve our balance," said Chennai franchise head owner Narainswamy Srinivasan.

England players were not involved in the IPL last year, but were permitted by the England and Wales Cricket Board to play for the first three weeks of the upcoming 2009 campaign despite a clash in the early part of its own domestic season.

The players will get their salaries on a pro rata basis, depending on their availability for the duration of the 2009 IPL season from April 10 - May 29. While England players will only be available for the opening three weeks, Australian players will only join late after national team duty, and the South Africans will also miss the first week.