Kohli’s Autographed Jersey Sells for ₹40 Lakh: Rahul-Athiya Raise ₹1.93 Cr in Charity Auction
To help underprivileged children, Indian batter KL Rahul and his wife Athiya Shetty organized a charity auction on Friday, August 23. Items autographed by Indian cricketers were auctioned at the event. Among these, the highest bid of ₹40 lakhs was placed for a jersey signed by Virat Kohli.
Cricket for Charity
This auction was conducted under the name ‘Cricket for Charity’ for the Vipla Foundation. Items signed by star players like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, and KL Rahul were auctioned. A total of ₹1.93 crore was raised through this auction. The funds will be used to support the education of differently-abled children.
Virat Kohli’s Items Fetch the Highest Prices
In this charity auction, the items belonging to star cricketer Virat Kohli fetched the highest prices. Apart from his signed jersey, his batting gloves received a bid of ₹28 lakhs. Additionally, Indian captain Rohit Sharma’s bat sold for ₹24 lakhs, and his batting gloves were sold for ₹7.5 lakhs.
A bid of ₹13 lakhs was placed for former Indian captain MS Dhoni’s bat, while former head coach Rahul Dravid’s bat was sold for ₹11 lakhs. KL Rahul’s Test jersey was also purchased for ₹11 lakhs. During the auction, Rahul’s bat fetched ₹7 lakhs, and his helmet was bid at ₹4.20 lakhs.
Other Cricketers’ Items
The jersey of Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was purchased for ₹8 lakhs. Rishabh Pant’s bat received a bid of ₹7.5 lakhs, and his wicketkeeping gloves were auctioned for ₹3.5 lakhs. Meanwhile, the Test jersey of experienced spinner R. Ashwin was sold for ₹4.20 lakhs.
MS Dhoni’s gloves were sold for ₹3.50 lakhs, Shreyas Iyer’s bat for ₹2.80 lakhs, Ravindra Jadeja’s jersey for ₹2.40 lakhs, Quinton de Kock’s jersey for ₹1.10 lakhs, and the jerseys of Sanju Samson and Yuzvendra Chahal were bought for ₹5,000 each.
Rahul and Athiya’s Remarks on the Auction
Regarding the charity auction, Athiya Shetty said, “Rahul and I are thrilled to announce our first charity auction, ‘Cricket for a Cause,’ to benefit the Vipla Foundation.”
KL Rahul added, “The money raised from this auction will support the Vipla Foundation’s special school for children with hearing and intellectual disabilities. This is a cause that is very close to my heart.
