RCB and KKR competed, pushing the price to Rs 6.5 crore, then Rs 8 crore and beyond. KKR momentarily took the lead at Rs 8.25 crore, but RCB replied at Rs 9 crore. The bidding exceeded Rs 10 crore, after which RCB took control of Rs 10.5 crore. Despite KKR's persistence, they finally caught a break as RCB bought Salt for Rs 11.5 crore. The opening batsman was crucial for the Knight Riders in their victorious campaign in IPL 2024. He played 12 matches and scored 435 runs at an average of 39.55.
In another purchase, South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock was sold by KKR for Rs 3.60 crore. He entered the IPL auction with a base price of Rs 2 crore, but the bidding started off slow for the South African keeper-batsman. Sunrisers Hyderabad
(SRH) finally started the proceedings, followed by Mumbai Indians
(MI) bid for Rs 2.2 crore. The prospect of De Kock reuniting with Rohit Sharma in MI's batting order added excitement, but SRH ensured the bidding remained competitive. The price reached Rs 3 crore, where MI maintained the lead for some time. However, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) also joined the fray, taking the bid to Rs 3.6 crore.
MI opted out of it, forcing KKR to acquire De Kock for Rs 3.6 crore. De Kock's previous franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) decided not to exercise their Right to Match. Following the fight over salt between RCB and KKR, KKR bought Rahmanullah Gurbaz without any challenge, as The Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batsman was bought by KKR for his base price of Rs 2 crore.
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