IPL Mega Auction: PBKS go big for Wadhera, SRH acquire Manohar, Yash Dhull goes unsold

Punjab Kings went big for Nehal Wadhera, while Abhinav Manohar fetched a hefty sum for himself by sealing a move to Sunrisers Hyderabad during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction on Sunday in Jeddah. In the uncapped batters set 1, Atharva Taide, who was with Punjab Kings last season, was roped in by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for his base price of Rs 30 lakh. Anmolpreet Singh, who has been a part of SRH and Mumbai Indians, didn't see a single paddle go up for him and had to go unsold.

Nehal Wadhera, who established himself as a power-hitter while featuring for MI, entered the mega auction with a base price of Rs 30 lakh. Chennai Super Kings cleared their intention by quickly raising the paddle. Lucknow Super Giants joined the list of bidders, leading to an intense bidding war. Wadhera, who plays for Punjab, saw his bid go past the Rs 1 crore mark, with franchises not looking to back out quite easily. With CSK raising to Rs 1,40 crore, LSG decided to opt-out, which made way for PBKS to reignite the bidding war.

The bid got past the Rs 2 crore mark, with CSK and PBKS going right at it. With the bid one paddle away from arriving at Rs 3 crore, CSK pulled out, and Gujarat Titans tried to bring in Wadhera. PBKS kept their intention strong and raised the bid to Rs 3.80 crore. Delhi Capitals tried to have a crack at it towards the end by raising the bid to Rs 4 crore, but PBKS replied with Rs 4.20 crore. MI decided not to use their Right To Match option, which confirmed Wadhera finding a new home in PBKS.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi saw an intense bidding war for his services with CSK and KKR going at it. The Knights stayed strong with their intention and brought him back for Rs 3 crore. India's Under-10 World Cup-winning captain, Yash Dhull, was next to follow, but surprisingly, no franchise showed interest in acquiring his services. He went unsold with a base price of Rs 30 lakh.

Delhi Capitals went on to bring Karun Nair back by acquiring him for Rs 50 lakh after fending off competition from RCB. The final player of the first set was Abhinav Manohar, who enjoyed a strong Maharaja T20 league. A couple of franchises showed their interest but it was SRH who stayed strong and brought in Manohar for Rs 3.20 crore. (ANI)