IPL effect: Small towners earn big bucks

Manoj Tiwary dreamt of making it big in a small room in Howrah's Railway Colony. Now, he has made it bigger than his wildest dreams.But if the Kolkata batsman was thinking of rushing out to buy himself a new car, his father insists to the contrary, claiming there are other priorities that he needs to address first. "He will have to invest in a flat, get married, build a house at our native place. He also has to sponsor his niece," said Shyamshankar Tiwary, Manoj Tiwary's father.India's young guns seem to have benefitted the most from the IPL gold rush. For Girija Singh and all of Rae Bareli, RP Singh's Rs 3.5 crore for just 44 days of work is virtually unheard of. "I am happy RP's got this kind of money. It's all because of the good wishes of the people and the media. I hope the others also get it," said Girija Singh, R P Singh's mother.The other cricketers have certainly shared in the spoils. Robin Uthappa's Rs 3.2 crore pay packet is double that of Australian Captain Ricky Ponting's, but the batsman is not interested in comparing numbers. "I don't ask you about your money, so I don't think you should be asking about mine. On a serious note, we are playing cricket because we love the game. Whatever comes with it are its perks, whatever is destined to come our way, will come our way," said Robin Uthappa, Member, Indian Cricket Team.These perks are what the parents seem most worried about. MS Dhoni was the most expensive, and his parents have been the most cautious in celebrating his financial success. The gentleman's game is changing, but everyone hopes that the overnight crorepatis don't.