File image of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni.© AFP
India cricket icons Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid among others have come together to donate for a charity auction, benefitting the Vipla Foundation, an organisation striving to empower unprivileged communities in India. The auction was organised by Indian wicket-keeper batter KL Rahul and his wife Athiya Shetty, titled 'Cricket for a Cause: To Benefit the Vipla Foundation'. Several iconic items of cricket memorabilia has been put up for an auction, the receipts of which will directly benefit the Vipla Foundation.
Some of the fascinating cricket memorabilia that will be auctioned are a signed cricket bat from IPL 2024 by MS Dhoni, signed cricket bats from the 2023 World Cup by Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul and a signed Indian cricket team jersey by Virat Kohli from the 2019 World Cup. These starting bids for these items range from Rs 50,000 to Rs 3,50,000.
The Vipla Foundation has been actively striving to empower women and children for 36 years, and have even set up a special school for the hearing impaired and intellectually disabled. From smart classrooms to speech therapy rooms and play areas, the school is adorned with modern facilities. The auction aims to further boost the facilities in order to help underprivileged children of various kinds.
"This is not just an auction; it's an opportunity for all of us to come together and make a difference. It's heartwarming to see the cricketing legends come together for such a noble cause. Every item tells a story of passion, hard work, and triumph," said Mana Shetty, the trustee of the Vipla Foundation.
A total of 27 items will be auctioned off. A signed bat by Rahul Dravid from India's tour to England in 2011, signed India jerseys by R Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah, signed Rajasthan Royals jerseys by from Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler and Yuzvendra Chahal, signed Chennai Super Kings jersey by Ravindra Jadeja, signed bats by Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Marcus Stoinis, and more.