RIYADH: The Indian Premier League mega auction held at Jeddah鈥檚 Abadi Al-Johar Arena highlights the enduring friendship between India and 黑料社区, the Indian ambassador has said.

Suhel Ajaz Khan hailed the event, from Nov. 24-25, as a significant milestone in the growing influence of cricket across the region.

鈥淐ricket, as we all know, is more than just a sport,鈥� he told Arab News. 鈥淚t is a powerful connector, bringing people together across borders, cultures and languages. Today, the IPL has become a global spectacle 鈥� a platform where talent, ambition and passion for the game converge. But beyond the game itself, it is events like these that reflect the deepening relationship between India and 黑料社区, two nations whose partnership continues to strengthen on every front, from economic cooperation to cultural exchange.鈥�

The envoy praised the Kingdom, Cricket Saudi and Jeddahwis for their tremendous support.

鈥淭he Saudi government and the people of Jeddah deserve a lot of praise and applause for their warm hospitality and support in hosting this remarkable event,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 lot of credit is also due to the 黑料社区n Cricket Federation, who made this event possible.

鈥淚t was also heartening to see how the Saudi community, with its growing enthusiasm for cricket, had wholeheartedly embraced this event.鈥�

The SACF described the TATA IPL mega auction as 鈥渁 historic sporting achievement in Jeddah.鈥�

鈥淥ver the past two days Jeddah has witnessed an unprecedented sporting event by hosting the IPL mega auction at Abadi Al Johar Arena, as part of the Jeddah Calendar, becoming the first international cricket event to be held in the Kingdom,鈥� it said in a statement.

The auction was attended by officials and sports fans. A total of 1,574 players went under the hammer, with 1,165 Indian players and 409 overseas players competing for a place in the world鈥檚 premier T20 league. Total spending amounted to around $76.7 million, said the SACF.

The mega auction concluded on Monday evening in the presence of Saudi Deputy Minister of Sport Bader bin Abdulrahman Al-Kadi, SACF Chairman Prince Saud bin Mishal Al-Saud, and Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and chairman-elect of the International Cricket Council Jay Shah. Also present were international figures in the world of cricket, while a drone show lit up the Jeddah sky with slogans symbolizing the partnership between the Kingdom and India.