Sehwag’s son, Kohli’s nephew light up Delhi Premier League 2025 auction

Dubai: Famous surnames lit up the Delhi Premier League 2025 auction — and it wasn’t just nostalgia. Virender Sehwag’s son and Virat Kohli’s nephew sparked a bidding frenzy as teams scrambled to invest in the next generation of cricketing talent.

Aaryavir Sehwag, the 18-year-old son of India’s iconic opener, was picked up for a hefty Rs800,000 by Central Delhi Kings after a multi-team tug-of-war. A powerful top-order batter like his father, Aaryavir currently plays for the Delhi Under-19 team and has already begun turning heads with his strokeplay.

Meanwhile, Kohli’s nephew Aryaveer was bought by DPL 2024 runners-up South Delhi Superstarz for Rs100,000. A leg-spinner, who trains under Rajkumar Sharma — the same coach who mentored Virat — Aryaveer is set for his maiden DPL campaign and will be under close watch as he lines up under the captaincy of Ayush Badoni.

There was no luck this time for Sehwag’s younger son, 14-year-old Vedant, who went unsold. He also plays age-group cricket for Delhi.

While the prodigies grabbed the headlines, it was fast bowler Simarjeet Singh who became the most expensive player at the auction. The seasoned pacer was snapped up for Rs3.9 million by Central Delhi Kings, making him the costliest signing of the season. Simarjeet has previously featured in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, and most recently, Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Mystery spinner Digvesh Rathi wasn’t far behind. The 2024 breakout star returned to South Delhi Superstarz for Rs3.8 million — and in doing so, secured a deal richer than his IPL contract. Picked by Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2025 mega-auction for Rs3 million, Digvesh will now earn Rs800,000 more in the domestic league — a rarity in Indian cricket.

Such disparity is unusual but there is an instance in the past. In 2023, Sai Sudharsan joined the Tamil Nadu Premier League’s Lyca Kovai Kings for Rs2.16 million — more than his Rs2 million IPL deal at the time. Two years later, Gujarat Titans retained Sudharsan for Rs85 million.

Digvesh justified his rising stock with a stellar IPL season in 2025, finishing as LSG’s highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets in 13 matches.

Purani Dilli 6, semi-finalists last season, retained star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant as their marquee player ahead of the auction. The team had impressed in the league phase in 2024, but rain washed out their semi-final clash, ending their campaign on a sour note.

“The DPL serves as an excellent platform for young talent to showcase their skills and much credit is due to Rohan Jaitley and the DDCA for successfully organising this league,” Pant said. “Many players from across the country have emerged through the DPL, like Digvesh Rathi and Priyansh Arya.”

Pant, who will once again anchor the Purani Dilli 6 squad, added: “This team truly feels like home, fuelled by the vibrant energy of the Delhi fans and an unparalleled hunger to win. After a promising season last year, our determination has only intensified.”

Among the other notable signings, left-handed batter Nitish Rana was picked up by West Delhi Lions for Rs34 lakh. Having switched his domestic base to Uttar Pradesh in 2023, Rana is now back in the Delhi fold — and will be a key figure for his new team.

With big-money signings, rising stars, and household names entering the mix, the DPL 2025 auction has laid the groundwork for what promises to be a compelling season.