IPL 2024: RR trades batter Devdutt Padikkal for LSG's pacer Avesh Khan

New Delhi: India fast bowler Avesh Khan has been traded to Rajasthan Royals (RR) from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), who has acquired the services of top-order left-handed batter Devdutt Padikkal in a direct swap ahead of next year’s Indian Premier League.

Avesh, who is part of the India squad for the T20I series against Australia beginning in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, has 55 wickets from 47 IPL matches so far. Avesh was purchased by LSG 2022 mega auction for Rs 10 crore. The right-arm pacer, who represented LSG in 22 matches and picked up 26 wickets, was traded to RR for his existing fee.

Padikkal, on the other hand, was bought by RR for Rs 7.75 crore. Both the players were retained by the respective franchises this year.

Padikkal too head to LSG from RR for his existing fee. The left-handed batter has 57 IPL matches under his belt, scoring 1521 runs with the help of a hundred and nine half-centuries. He represented RR in as many as 28 matches, scoring 637 runs.

Meanwhile, out-of-form middle-order batters Sarfaraz Khan and Manish Pandey have been released by Delhi Capitals. Sarfaraz was bought for Rs 20 lakh while Pandey received a cool Rs 2.40 crore from the franchise. Thus DC has freed an additional Rs 2.60 crore for the auction.