Rajasthan Royals snap up Devdutt Padikkal for ₹7.75 crores at IPL 2022 mega auction

Promising Indian opener Devdutt Padikkal will turn out for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2022. The ongoing mega auction in Bengaluru saw three franchises in Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings bid for the youngster.

However, the inaugural IPL champions stood tall in the end, bagging the batter for ₹7.75 crores. The southpaw, who started his IPL career in 2020 with the Royal Challengers Bangalore, has performed magnificently in two seasons. The classy batter also earned the emerging player of the year award in the 13th season, held in UAE.

In 2020, he accumulated 473 runs in 15 matches at 31.53, followed by 411 in 2021 at 31.62. The 14th edition saw the youngster score his first IPL hundred, remaining unbeaten at 101* to dismantle the Rajasthan Royals in Mumbai. He has also played a couple of T20Is for India. However, he did not make much of an impact for the national side.

The Royals should now have a fearsome opening pair in Jos Buttler and Devdutt Padikkal. It would also be interesting to see him open with Jaiswal as well.

Devdutt Padikkal becomes the fourth buy for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL mega auction

Rajasthan Royals. (Image Credits: Getty)

Meanwhile, the 21-year old became the fourth buy for the franchise so far in the auction after Ravichandran Ashwin (₹ 5 crores), Trent Boult (₹ 8 crores), and Shimron Hetmyer (₹8.5 crores). Before the auction, they retained skipper Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler and Yashavi Jaiswal.

While the Royals lifted the coveted trophy in 2008, they have had a torrid time in the last few years. The franchise hasn't reached the playoffs since 2018 and has been languishing in the bottom half of the table consistently. The franchise finished last and second last in the previous two editions.

They will be keen to change their fortunes in IPL 15.