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

Desert Vipers welcome Babar Azam with a special 'King' promo after signing the Pakistan batting star for base price of USD 80,000 at the ILT20 auction

Desert Vipers called Babar Azam "The King" in a special promotional video shared on social media. The franchise shared the video on the internet with the caption, "Babar Azam is ready to strike in Desert Vipers colours for DP World ILT20 Season 5!" Babar Azam has been heavily trolled by the internet users on social media with the title.

Pakistan star batsman Babar Azam joined Desert Vipers for the fifth season of the DP World International League T20 (ILT20). He was bought for his base price of USD 80,000, which amounts to approximately ₹76 lakh, at the auction as no Indian-owned team placed a bid for the batter. This allowed Desert Vipers to sign him at the starting price.

Babar was not the only Pakistan player signed by Desert Vipers at the base price. Pakistan players Naseem Shah, Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan were also bought by the franchise for USD 80,000 each. No Indian-owned team bid for these Pakistani players during the auction.

The signings give Desert Vipers four Pakistan players for the upcoming season. The franchise will hope that Babar's batting and the other players' experience help the team perform well in the tournament. The fifth season of the ILT20 is scheduled to start from November 21 to December 20, 2026.