Bengaluru, July 15 (UNI) The fourth edition of the Shriram Capital Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 auction witnessed an intense bidding war today, with stylish left-hander Devdutt Padikkal commanding the highest price of the day.
The Hubli Tigers shelled out Rs 13.20 lakh to secure Padikkal’s services, making him the most expensive player at this year’s auction.
Closely following him were Abhinav Manohar and veteran Manish Pandey, who fetched Rs 12.20 lakh each. Manohar joined Padikkal at the Hubli Tigers, while Pandey was snapped up by the Mysuru Warriors.
Among bowlers, the Shivamogga Lions made a bold move by acquiring Vidwath Kaverappa for Rs 10.80 lakh, affirming the high demand for quality pacers. The Bengaluru Blasters, too, made headlines by signing Vidyadhar Patil for Rs 8.30 lakh, adding muscle to their bowling attack.
Mysuru Warriors adopted an all-round approach with key buys such as K Gowtham (Rs 4.40 lakh) and last season’s joint top wicket-taker Kumar LR (Rs 1.50 lakh), apart from bolstering their spin department with Shikhar Shetty (Rs 4.70 lakh). They also added depth to their top order with Harshil Dharmani (Rs 3.20 lakh).
The Bengaluru Blasters, despite a quiet start, struck gold with Chethan LR (Rs 5.10 lakh) and 16-year-old prodigy Madhav Prakash Bajaj (Rs 3.15 lakh). Rohan Naveen (Rs 4.25 lakh) and A Rohan Patil (Rs 2.70 lakh) also joined their ranks.
With the biggest purse, the Hubli Tigers dominated early proceedings with high-value signings. Besides Padikkal and Manohar, they brought in Mohammad Taha (Rs 4.60 lakh) and promising pacer Samarth Nagaraj (Rs 3.20 lakh).
Gulbarga Mystics focused on building a balanced unit, led by the acquisition of KV Siddharth (Rs 6.10 lakh) and speedster Monish Reddy (Rs 4.65 lakh). They finished strong by bagging Lavish Kaushal (Rs 7.75 lakh), last season’s highest wicket-taker, and Nikin Jose (Rs 1 lakh).
The Shivamogga Lions added youthful flair with Aneeshwar Gautam (Rs 8.20 lakh) and experience in Anirudha Joshi (Rs 3.60 lakh), while roping in leg-spinner Deepak Devadiga (Rs 1.20 lakh).
The Mangaluru Dragons made an early impact, securing the seasoned Shreyas Gopal for Rs 8.60 lakh and showing faith in all-rounder Melu Kranthi Kumar (Rs 5.60 lakh). Their bowling was reinforced with Ronit More (Rs 3.40 lakh) and Abhishek Prabhakar (Rs 3.07 lakh), while Shivraj S (Rs 6.55 lakh) added muscle to their batting lineup.
As per KSCA rules, each team is set to make two additional inclusions from their respective catchment areas before the tournament begins.
The Maharaja Trophy, organised by the Karnataka State Cricket Association, is scheduled to begin later this month, promising another season of explosive T20 action with a blend of youth and experience.
