The strapping 23-year-old was one of the star performers and part of an impressive campaign which almost resulted in the Volts making it through to the semifinal stage of the lucrative tournament.
The Dunedin-based team was denied a playoff berth only when the Mumbai Indians - the eventual champion - beat the Perth Scorchers by six wickets and lifted their net run rate to eliminate the Volts. Otago was scheduled to play Mumbai earlier in the competition but the game was abandoned due to heavy rain.
''It is pretty hard to complain about that rained-out game because the fate of our tournament was still in our hands,'' Neesham said.
''If we'd beaten Rajasthan in our last game it would not have mattered. But it does leave a sour taste to get knocked out by a team you did not get a chance to have a go at.''
Neesham's hard hitting and skills with the ball are well known in these parts. But it was his first opportunity to shine in India and in front of the people who sign the really big cheques.
The IPL has become the end of the rainbow for cricketers and Neesham enhanced his growing reputation with 145 runs at an average of 72.50, and six wickets at 26.83.
There have been whispers some IPL teams were interested in signing him up but Neesham said he had not been approached.
''Nothing as yet,'' Neesham responded.
''They don't really go out of their way to contact players until a little further down the track, so I'm just focusing on the season with Otago and the Black Caps' tour of Bangladesh.''
Neesham leaves for Bangladesh on October 17 and will miss Otago's opening Plunket Shield game against Wellington beginning on October 27. He will also miss the start of the domestic twenty20 tournament.
He has played three one-day internationals and three twenty20s internationals for his country and is keen to add to that tally. But he is also determined to help Otago win that elusive first-class title. The province has not won the tournament since 1987-88 but came very close last season.
The title only slipped away on the last afternoon of the summer when Otago was dismissed for 145 chasing a modest 200 for victory. Neesham top-scored in the second innings with 49 but regrets not being able to guide Otago to a win that day.
''If I look back that was probably one of the most disappointing days in my career. I've never really experienced a dressing room with that sort of atmosphere in it.
''That is definitely still fresh in the minds of all the guys and I think that will be a powerful motivator for the season.''
