Devdutt Padikkal moves to LSG, Avesh Khan traded to RR ahead of IPL 2024 auction – Reports

Devdutt Padikkal managed to score 261 runs for RR, while Avesh Khan took only 8 wickets in IPL 2023.

Avesh Khan, a fast bowler, is poised to join the Rajasthan Royals from the Lucknow Super Giants, who will get top-order batter Devdutt Padikkal in a straight trade swap ahead of the IPL 2024. The player auction for the 2024 season will take place on December 19 in Dubai.

This is only the second trade ahead of the 2024 season, following Romario Shepherd’s trade to the Mumbai Indians earlier this month. The IPL has set a deadline of November 26 for franchisees to announce their retention lists.

As per a report in ESPNCricinfo, the two franchises and players reached an agreement on the transaction in the last week, with the BCCI expected to finalize the deal this week.

Avesh Khan was named in the India T20I squad for the upcoming series against Australia, which begins from November 23. He was bought by Lucknow Super Giants in the mega auction in 2022 for INR 10 crores. He had started his career with Delhi Capitals, where in 2021, he was the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 24 wickets at 18.75.

After the Capitals released him ahead of the mega auction, Super Giants bid fiercely to buy Avesh in a four-way bidding war.

Avesh struggled in 2023 on the slow and unprepared pitches in Lucknow. Avesh concluded the 2023 season with just eight wickets at 35.37 and an economy of 9.75 after failing to complete his entire quota of four overs in five of the nine games he played.

Devdutt Padikkal moves to his third IPL franchise; to join Lucknow Super Giants

Devdutt Padikkal had an amazing debut in IPL 2020 scoring 473 runs with 5 fifties to his name for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Rajasthan Royals, meanwhile paid INR 7.75 crore for Padikkal.

At Rajasthan Royals, despite playing every match for his team in 2022 (17) and 11 games in 2023, Padikkal failed to fulfill the role assigned to him at RR. In 28 matches in these two seasons, Padikkal scored 637 runs at an average of 23.59 and a strike rate of 125.88 with just three half-centuries.

Super Giants will be the third franchise for Padikkal, who started his IPL journey with his hometown franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore where he spent two seasons (2020 and 21).

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