SOUTH African cricketers will collectively earn more than $6-million at the Indian Premier League this year. But with that comes the responsibility to perform in the game's most-pressured environment. Fifteen South African players will take part in the tournament. Six of them have just arrived after Sunday's franchise T20 final between the Lions and the Titans at the Wanderers. A seventh, Faf du Plessis, will miss the first month because of a back injury. The players' salaries range from the $1.2-million Dale Steyn will earn to the $20 000 that will be banked by Quinton de Kock and Gulam Bodi.

The total bill adds to $607 0000 or R53-million. But handsomely rewarded though they will be, the $6-million men will also have to pay a price. "The money does add to the pressure," Justin Kemp said. "The guys earn big salaries but the teams expect a lot from them." Kemp played for the Chennai Super Kings in the 2010 IPL. His tournament was cut short by a back injury, but he was in the middle for long enough to know he was swimming with sharks. "You're surrounded by so many other key players and you really feel as if you need to do something special when you walk onto the field," he said.

Steyn showed his team the money on Sunday when he won a super-over duel against Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli to clinch victory for the Sunrisers Hyderabad over Royal Challengers Bangalore. But it's not all about Bollywood endings. Richard Levi, for instance, was signed by the Mumbai Indians for $400000 last year and scored 83 runs in his six innings. Neither is the IPL any respecter of prominent players. AB de Villiers, who is being paid $1.1-million by Royal Challengers Bangalore, went straight from the Wanderers to OR Tambo International on Sunday. De Villiers played his first match yesterday against Hyderabad.

He held the only catch that came his way and kept a clean sheet as far as byes were concerned. Now playing in his sixth IPL, De Villiers knows what is expected of him and what to expect - on and off the field. Not so De Kock and Chris Morris, who are in their debut seasons for Hyderabad and Chennai respectively. "The amount of exposure I got blew me away," Kemp said. "But it depends on the player's personality. You could crave that kind of thing and lap it up. "I had been to India a few times before, so I knew what I was in for. But the IPL turns it up to another level. It's every day and it's in your face, and it's something only India can provide."