0:
The much-awaited IPL 2022 mega auction finally kicked off in Bengaluru on Saturday and everyone was keen to know how things will undergo on the day. The auctioneer, Hugh Edmeades, began the proceedings and much to the delight of everyone, the first player out of the hat was none other than India's Shikhar Dhawan.
After a few moments of silence, Rajasthan Royals began the bidding war for the left-handed batsman before Delhi Capitals, Gabbar's former team, entered the scene as they made their intentions clear that they wanted their opener back in the side. However, this is when Punjab Kings (who entered the auction with the highest purse) showed that PBKS means business this time around!
ALSO READ | IPL 2022 Mega Auction LIVE UPDATES
The franchise, with Jonty Rhodes on the auction table, bid aggressively and eventually secured the services of Shikhar Dhawan for a whopping amount of INR 8.25 crore. The left-handed batsman will now join Mayank Agarwal at the top of the order for the franchise, making it a formidable opening pair for them.
Shikhar Dhawan has also given his reaction on joining the new team as he said his 'Hello' to Punjab Kings.
A few moments later, Punjab Kings also signed Kagiso Rabada for INR 9.25 crore to complete another star recruitment for IPL 2022. At the time of writing, the following marquee players were sold in Set 1:
Shikhar Dhawan - 8.25 Cr - PBKS
Ravichandran Ashwin - 5 Cr - RR
Pat Cummins - 7.25 Cr - KKR
Kagiso Rabada - 9.25 Cr - PBKS
Trent Boult - 8 Cr - RR
Shreyas Iyer - 12.25 Cr - KKR
Mohammad Shami - 6.25 Cr - GT
Faf du Plessis - 7 Cr - RCB