Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Nov 24 : Indian wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul, who scored a superb 77 in India's second innings in the Perth Test, was sold to Delhi Capitals for Rs 14 crore at the Indian Premier League 2025 Mega Auction, at the Abadi Al Johar Arena here on Sunday.

A fierce bidding war for Rahul, starting at a base price of Rs 2 crore. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) led the initial charge, taking the bid past Rs 10 crore.

RCB eventually bowed out at Rs 10.75 crore, but Delhi Capitals (DC) entered at Rs 11 crore. KKR and DC traded rapid bids before KKR stepped back at Rs 12 crore. Just when it seemed DC had secured Rahul, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) jumped in, pushing the price to Rs 14 crore.

Ultimately, DC prevailed over other bidders, with Lucknow Super Giants opting not to use their RTM.

LSG let go of their captain Rahul, thus ending their three-year association with the right-handed batter, and ended up signing Rishabh Pant for Rs 27 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history. Pooran is their biggest retention at Rs 21 crore, followed by Ravi Bishnoi and Mayank Yadav at Rs 11 crore each. They also retained Badoni and Mohsin Khan for Rs 4 crore each.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore bought Liam Livingstone for Rs 8.75 crore, making him the franchise's first buy of the 2025 auction. With a base price of Rs 2 crore, RCB and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opened the bidding. SRH exited early, but the competition heated up as Delhi Capitals (DC) entered the fray, challenging RCB in a battle that pushed the bid past Rs 6 crore.

Just as RCB seemed poised to win, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) entered at Rs 7 crore, sparking a new round of intense bidding. The two teams traded bids, driving Livingstone's price to Rs 8.75 crore. Eventually, CSK bowed out, leaving RCB victorious.

Punjab Kings, Livingstone's previous team, chose not to exercise their Right to Match (RTM), clearing the way for his move to RCB. Livingstone's signing adds a powerful finisher and versatile bowler to RCB's arsenal, making him a key addition for the upcoming season.

/IANS