Bhuvneshwar Kumar leaves Hyderabad to join Bengaluru for $1.28 million in IPL auction.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru executed a strategic move to re-sign their former fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar (34) for 107.5 million Indian rupees ($1.28 million) on the second day of the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction held in Saudi Arabia on Monday.

The competition for the seasoned Indian pacer appeared to be primarily between Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants; however, Bengaluru intervened with their initial bid, thereby enhancing their bowling lineup for the upcoming season.

On the opening day of the auction in Jeddah on Sunday, Rishabh Pant (270 million rupees) and Shreyas Iyer (267.5 million rupees) secured remarkable contracts, setting new records in the world's most lucrative Twenty20 tournament.

Deepak Chahar was acquired by Mumbai for 92.5 million rupees, while Delhi Capitals signed Mukesh Kumar for 80 million rupees, and Akash Deep was picked up by Lucknow for 80 million rupees on Monday, highlighting the significant financial investments in Indian pace bowlers.

Punjab Kings successfully outbid Mumbai and Gujarat Titans to secure South African all-rounder Marco Jansen for 70 million rupees.

All-rounder Daryl Mitchell, who had joined Chennai Super Kings for a substantial 140 million rupees last year, went unsold during the initial bidding, alongside his New Zealand teammates Kane Williamson and Glenn Phillips.

England's Sam Curran was among several players returning to Chennai, signing for 24 million rupees, a considerable reduction compared to the 185 million rupees that Punjab had invested in him in 2022.

Mumbai strengthened their bowling unit by acquiring Afghanistan spinner Allah Ghazanfar for 48 million rupees, while India all-rounder Washington Sundar was a valuable addition for Gujarat at 32 million rupees.