Bengaluru, July 14 (UNI) The stage is set for an exciting player auction ahead of the fourth edition of the Shriram Capital Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20, to be held tomorrow in Bengaluru.
Star performers Manish Pandey, Devdutt Padikkal, Abhinav Manohar, and Chethan LR are among the top names expected to attract keen interest from franchises aiming to bolster their squads.
With Rs 50 lakh allotted to each team, the Hubli Tigers enter the auction with the largest remaining purse of Rs 41.50 lakh, followed by Mangaluru Dragons (Rs 37.70L), Mysore Warriors (Rs 36.50L), Shivamogga Lions (Rs 30.80L), Bengaluru Blasters (Rs 28.40L), and Gulbarga Mystics (Rs 24.05L).
Category A features premier Indian and IPL cricketers. Abhinav Manohar, who dazzled last season with 502 runs at a staggering average of 84.50, is among the most anticipated picks. Former India international Manish Pandey, who previously led Hubli Tigers to the title in Season 2, also returns to the pool.
Devdutt Padikkal, instrumental in Gulbarga Mystics’ play-off push last year, remains a top draw. Others in this elite category include seasoned all-rounders Shreyas Gopal and K Gowtham — the latter was crucial in Mysore Warriors’ title-winning campaign last year with 14 wickets and significant experience.
Chethan, who commanded a price of Rs 8.60 lakh last season, headlines Category B. The aggressive opener amassed 429 runs in 11 innings for Bengaluru Blasters. He will be joined by Vidyadhar Patil, Mysore Warriors’ pace spearhead who claimed 16 wickets in the previous edition.
Consistent performers KV Siddharth and Nikin Jose from the Mangaluru Dragons return, while upcoming talents such as Rohan Patil, Aneesh KV, Mohammad Taha, and pacer Darshan MB round out a highly competitive list.
This category features promising junior state players. Kumar LR, last year’s leading wicket-taker with 17 scalps, headlines the group. India U19 pacer Samarth Nagaraj, Samit Dravid, wicketkeeper-batter Harshil Dharmani, and Bengaluru Blasters’ Melu Kranthi Kumar, who bagged 14 wickets with an economy of 7.40, are also included.
Category D includes all other registered KSCA players. Among them is Lavish Kaushal, who played a pivotal role for Bengaluru Blasters last season by finishing as the second highest wicket-taker with 16 wickets.
Retained Players List:
Mysore Warriors: Karun Nair (Rs 6.8L), Prasidh Krishna (Rs 2L), Karthik S U (Rs 0.5L), Karthik CA (Rs 4.2L)
Bengaluru Blasters: Mayank Agarwal (Rs 14L), Shubhang Hegde (Rs 4.3L), Suraj Ahuja (Rs 1L), Naveen MG (Rs 2.3L)
Hubli Tigers: Manvanth Kumar L (Rs 1L), Shrijith KL (Rs 2.1L), Cariappa KC (Rs 4.2L), Karthikeya KP (Rs 1.2L)
Gulbarga Mystics: Luvnith Sisodia (Rs 7.2L), Pravin Dubey (Rs 6.8L), Vyshak V (Rs 8.8L), Smaran R (Rs 3.15L)
Shivamogga Lions: Koushik V (Rs 5.9L), Nihal Ullal (Rs 2.1L), Hardik Raj (Rs 5.8L), Avinash D (Rs 5.4L)
Mangaluru Dragons: Abhilash Shetty (Rs 6.3L), Macneil Hadley Noronha (Rs 5L), Paras Gurbax Arya (Rs 0.5L), Lochan S Gowda (Rs 0.5L)
