"VAN" (Sports Desk - 17.07.2025) :: The fourth edition of the Shriram Capital Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 auction saw Devdutt Padikkal lead the charts as the most expensive player of the day, picked up by the Hubli Tigers for 13.20 lakh. Abhinav Manohar and Manish
Pandey followed closely behind, attracting bids of 12.20 lakh each from the Hubli Tigers and Mysuru Warriors respectively. Among the bowlers, Shivamogga Lions went big for pacer Vidwath Kaverappa at 10.80 lakh, while Bengaluru Blasters shelled out 8.30 lakh
for strike bowler Vidyadhar Patil, underlining the premium on wicket-takers this season.
Mysuru Warriors placed a strong emphasis on all-rounders with the addition of K Gowtham for 4.40 lakh, while Yashovardhan Parantap, was roped in for 2.00 lakh. The Warriors further bolstered their bowling with the signing of last season’s joint leading wicket-taker
Kumar LR (1.50 lakh), left-arm spinner Shikhar Shetty for a hefty 4.70 lakh, pacer Venkatesh M (2.00 lakh), and Gowtham Mishra (2.25 lakh) as well. They further reinforced the top order with promising wicketkeeper-batter Harshil Dharmani (3.20 lakh).
Bengaluru Blasters had a slow start with no signing in Category A. Their first move came with the acquisition of Chethan LR for 5.10 lakh, a notable pick, having fetched the highest price in last season’s auction. They secured strike bowler Vidyadhar Patil
for 8.30 lakh. They continued to stack their batting with the fluent Rohan Patil (2.70 lakh) and spent big on spin by securing Rohan Naveen for 4.25 lakh, followed by the exciting 16-year-old Madhav Prakash Bajaj for 3.15 lakh.
Hubli Tigers, holding the biggest purse going into the day, made big moves with the signings of Devdutt Padikkal and Abhinav Manohar. The experienced Mohammad Taha was brought in to strengthen the top order for 4.60 lakh, while young pacer Samarth Nagaraj joined
the ranks for 3.20 lakh.
Gulbarga Mystics targeted key roles with precision. They brought in wicketkeeper-batter KV Siddharth for 6.10 lakh to shore up the middle order and added right-arm fast bowler Monish Reddy for 4.65 lakh, giving their pace unit a boost. The Mystics were the
most active in the final phase of the auction, scooping up last season’s top wicket taker, Lavish Kaushal for 7.75 lakh and NIkin Jose for 1 Lakh.
Shivamogga Lions also made a significant investment in young all-rounder Aneeshwar Gautam for 8.20 lakh. They reinforced their squad with the addition of experienced Anirudha Joshi (3.60 lakh), and leg-spinner Deepak Devadiga (1.20 lakhs).
Mangaluru Dragons were active from the outset, leading their haul with the high-profile signing of Shreyas Gopal for 8.60 lakh. They showed faith in Melu Kranthi Kumar, splashing 5.60 lakh on the all-rounder. They reinforced their bowling with seasoned pacer Ronit More (3.40 lakh) and Abhishek Prabhakar for 3.07 lakh and also added batting options in Sharath BR (2.20 lakh) and Shivraj S (6.55 lakh). They brought in wicketkeeper Adarsh Prajwal for 3.25 lakh, rounding off their haul.
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