Fast bowler Avesh Khan is set to join the Rajasthan Royals from the Lucknow Super Giants, who will receive top-order batter Devdutt Padikkal in a direct deal ahead of the IPL 2024. The player auction for the 2024 season will take place in Dubai on December 19.
Following Romario Shepherd’s trade to the Mumbai Indians earlier this month, this is only the second trade ahead of the 2024 season. The IPL GC has set a November 26 deadline for franchisees to reveal their retention lists.
According to ESPNCricinfo, the two franchises and players agreed on the sale last week, with the BCCI expecting to finalize the deal this week.
Devdutt Padikkal made an impressive debut for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2020, amassing 473 runs and hitting five fifties. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals paid INR 7.75 crore for Padikkal.
Padikkal failed to fulfill the job assigned to him at Rajasthan Royals, despite playing every match for his side in 2022 (17) and 11 games in 2023. Padikkal scored 637 runs in 28 matches in these two seasons at an average of 23.59 and a strike rate of 125.88 with three half-centuries.
Padikkal’s third franchise will be Super Giants. He began his IPL career with his hometown franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he lasted two seasons (2020 and 21).
Avesh Khan Moves To Rajasthan Royals, His Third Franchise In Indian Premier League
Avesh Khan has been nominated to India’s T20I squad for the forthcoming series against Australia, which starts on November 23. Lucknow Super Giants purchased him in a major auction in 2022 for INR 10 crores. He began his career with the Delhi Capitals, where he was the tournament’s second-highest wicket-taker in 2021, with 24 wickets at 18.75.
After the Capitals released him ahead of the big auction, the Super Giants engaged in a four-way bidding war to acquire Avesh.
Avesh struggled in Lucknow in 2023 on slow, unprepared pitches. Avesh finished the 2023 season with eight wickets at 35.37 and an economy of 9.75 after failing to complete his four-over quota in five of nine games.
