Report, IPL | Super Giants acquire Devdutt Padikkal from Royals in swap deal for Avesh Khan
As per a report from ESPN Cricinfo, Lucknow Super Giants have secured the services of top-order batter Devudtt Padikkal in exchange for right-arm quick Avesh Khan who'll play for the Rajasthan Royals in 2024. The duo are established household names in the competition but endured a poor 2023 season.
Devdutt Padikkal first burst onto the scene in his debut season with Royal Challengers Bangalore, amassing 473 runs in 2020 before racking up another 411 runs the following season including a maiden IPL ton. However, the 23-year-old failed to reproduce the goods in Rajasthan Royals colours after being acquired for INR 7.75 crore in the mega auction, managing just three half-centuries in 28 games for the franchise which eventually saw him dropped from the lineup in 2023.
Avesh Khan similarly made his debut for the Bangalore-based franchise as well but only managed to break through into the national conscience in 2021 for Delhi Capitals with a runners-up finish in the Purple Cap race. his 24 wickets came at an average of 18.75 at less than seven and half an over, provoking Lucknow to snap him up at the mega auction for a huge price tag of INR 10 crore. The decision paid dividends with an 18-wicket return in 2022 but the form dried up the following year. With the Ekana Stadium featuring low-scoring tracks favourable for spin, Avesh managed just nine appearances in 2023, averaging over 35 at a drastic economy of 9.76.
Nevertheless, the soon-to-be 27-year-old remains a fringe player for the national side and was named in the squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against Australia beginning November 23. However, Avesh would have to compete with the likes of Prasidh Krishna, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Sen, Sandeep Sharma and KM Asif in order to earn a spot in Royals' XI.
The Avesh Khan- Debdutt Paddikkal trade would be the second trade of the season as teams finalize their retention lists ahead of the November 26 deadline, with LSG previously trading Romario SHepherd to the Mumbai Indians. The mini-auction for IPL 2024 is set to take place on December 19 in DUbai, making it the first auction to be held outside India.