Jeddah, Nov 25 (IANS): Delhi attacking opener Priyansh Arya reaped the benefit of his ongoing stellar form as Punjab Kings acquired him for Rs 3.8 crore on the second day of the IPL 2025 Auction here at the Abadi Al Johar Arena in Jeddah on Monday.
The southpaw was listed at a base price of Rs 30 lakh and saw a competitive bidding battle from Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians with Punjab joining the tussle to escalate the price to beyond Rs 1 crore. Royal Challengers Bengaluru also entered the fray with Punjab Kings leading the deal. The bid further stretched to Rs 3 crore and just before the Rs 4 crore milestone, RCB pulled out of the show as Punjab secured the player for Rs 3.8 crore.
Arya grabbed the eyeballs in the Delhi Premier League earlier this year where he smacked six sixes in an over for South Delhi Superstarz against North Delhi Strikers.
Arya's explosive knock of 120 runs, featuring 10 sixes and 10 fours, helped his team post an imposing total of 308/5. He reached his century in just 40 balls, showcasing his incredible batting prowess.
During the 2023-24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Arya stood out as Delhi’s leading run-scorer, accumulating 222 runs across seven innings at an average of 31.71 and an impressive strike rate of 166.91. Despite being shortlisted for the IPL 2024 auction, Arya remained unsold.
Punjab Kings also got hold of domestic pacer Kuldeep Sen for Rs 80 lakh after taking over the bid from five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Tamil Nadu pacer Gurjapneet Singh was acquired by CSK for Rs 2.2 crore after a paddle war with Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans.
Gujarat Titans secured the services of former all-rounder Jayant Yadav at a base price of Rs 75 lakh.
Afghanistan pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi was bagged by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 2 crore while New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner found Mumbai Indians as his new home at a base price of Rs 2 crore.
Mumbai Indians also recruited England pacer Reece Topley at his base price of Rs 75 lakh with no utilisation Right to Match (RTM) option from RCB.
Overseas players Pathum Nissanka, Brandon King, Gus Atkinson, Steve Smith, Sikandar Raza, Alzarri Joseph, Kwena Maphaka, Richard Gleeson and Luke Wood went unsold in the auction.