'King's Coming': Babar Azam Dropped From Pakistan T20I Team, Desert Vipers Welcome With Special Promo; VIDEO

Desert Vipers, a franchise in the DP World International League T20 (ILT20), have welcomed Pakistani batting star Babar Azam to their team. The signing was announced through a special promotional video shared on social media, where the franchise declared Babar Azam as "The King" in their colors. The video, captioned, "Babar Azam is ready to strike in Desert Vipers colours for DP World ILT20 Season 5!", highlighted the player's readiness to perform in the upcoming season.

Babar Azam was signed by Desert Vipers at the base price of USD 80,000, equivalent to around ₹76 lakh, during the ILT20 auction. This price was paid even though no Indian-owned team bid for the Pakistani star. The franchise had the advantage of signing him at this price due to no other Indian-owned team participating in the auction.

Babar Azam is not the only Pakistani player signed by Desert Vipers at the base price. Other Pakistan players, Naseem Shah, Fakhar Zaman, and Shadab Khan, were also purchased by the franchise for the same amount. The signing of these players gives Desert Vipers four Pakistan players for the upcoming season, hoping that their combined batting prowess and experience will contribute to the team's success in the tournament. The fifth season of the ILT20 is set to kick off from November 21 to December 20, 2026.