Pakistan batter Babar Azam has been signed by Desert Vipers during the ILT20 auction on Thursday. Babar was bought by the franchise at his base price of USD 80,000. Like many Pakistanis during the auction, the right-handed batter went unopposed to the Vipers.
Babar roped in by Vipers
That has to do with the ownership of the franchises in the league, with five out of six franchises owned by IPL franchises and Indian conglomerates. Previously as well, Pakistan players have largely represented Vipers, which is the only non-India-owned team in the tournament.
This year as well, mystery spinner Usman Tariq was a shock selection by Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR), who signed him in the accelerated round.
This will be Babar’s maiden ILT20 stint, having played in the Big Bash League (BBL), Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Lankan Premier League (LPL), Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), and Vitality Blast.
Pakistan players in Desert Vipers
Babar’s inclusion in the auction list came as a surprise, with the right-handed player usually among pre-auction or draft signings for leagues. Last year, he bagged a $274,000 deal with Big Bash League (BBL) franchise Sydney Sixers as their pre-draft signing.
Besides Babar, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, and Shadab Khan were also plucked by the Vipers, who also will be defending the title this year. Both Fakhar and Naseem were part of the Vipers’ title run last year, and were roped in for USD 80,000, the same signing fee that Vipers secured Shadab for.
The tournament will run from November 22 to December 20, with six teams taking part.
Desert Vipers
Andries Gous, Dan Lawrence, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Shimron Hetmyer, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Vriitya Aravind, Nilansh Keswani, Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Fakhar Zaman, Aneurin Donald, David Payne, Nangeyalia Kharote, Sanjay Pahal, Harry Tector, Joe Clarke, Saleem Safi, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Shadab Khan, Bilal Tahir, Ishtiaq Ahmed, Wali Muhammad
ALSO READ:
Pakistan and India to play each other in the Asian Games 2026 final- IPL