15 July,2025 10:41 PM IST | Bengaluru | mid-day online correspondent
Samit Dravid in action (Pic: PTI)
Opener Devdutt Padikkal emerged as the costliest player in the fourth edition of the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 auction, fetching Rs 13.20 lakh from the Hubli Tigers. The Karnataka State Cricket Association's marquee T20 competition witnessed high bidding activity on several prominent and emerging names, as teams looked to shape their squads ahead of the upcoming season.
Hot on Padikkal's heels were batters Abhinav Manohar and Manish Pandey, who were picked up for Rs 12.20 lakh each by the Hubli Tigers and Mysuru Warriors, respectively. Among the bowlers, Shivamogga Lions invested heavily in Vidwath Kaverappa, who was signed for Rs 10.80 lakh. Bengaluru Blasters also made a significant move, acquiring Vidyadhar Patil for Rs 8.30 lakh.
One notable absentee from the list of sold players was Samit Dravid, son of India head coach Rahul Dravid. Listed under Category C, which is reserved for junior state players, Samit remained unsold despite prior attention leading into the auction.
The Mysuru Warriors adopted a balanced approach, focusing on all-round capabilities. They brought in seasoned all-rounder K Gowtham for Rs 4.40 lakh and Yashovardhan Parantap for Rs 2.00 lakh. Their bowling unit was significantly bolstered with the inclusion of left-arm spinner Shikhar Shetty (Rs 4.70 lakh), pacers Venkatesh M (Rs 2.00 lakh), Gowtham Mishra (Rs 2.25 lakh), and last season's joint-highest wicket-taker Kumar LR (Rs 1.50 lakh). Promising wicketkeeper-batter Harshil Dharmani was also added to the roster for Rs 3.20 lakh.
The Bengaluru Blasters were initially quiet, with no picks in Category A. Their first signing came in the form of Chethan LR for Rs 5.10 lakh, one of last year's most expensive buys. They then strengthened their pace and spin departments with Vidyadhar Patil (Rs 8.30 lakh), Rohan Naveen (Rs 4.25 lakh), and added batting depth with Rohan Patil (Rs 2.70 lakh). Their eye for youth talent was evident with the inclusion of 16-year-old Madhav Prakash Bajaj for Rs 3.15 lakh.
Hubli Tigers, armed with the largest purse, dominated the auction early on. Apart from their headline signings of Padikkal and Manohar, they added experienced top-order batter Mohammad Taha for Rs 4.60 lakh and promising fast bowler Samarth Nagaraj for Rs 3.20 lakh.
Gulbarga Mystics took a more measured route, focusing on specific roles. They added KV Siddharth (Rs 6.10 lakh) to shore up the middle order and strengthened their bowling with Monish Reddy (Rs 4.65 lakh). In the closing stages of the auction, they picked up last season's top wicket-taker Lavish Kaushal for Rs 7.75 lakh and batter Nikin Jose for Rs 1 lakh.
Shivamogga Lions made a key investment in all-rounder Aneeshwar Gautam (Rs 8.20 lakh) and backed their experience quota by picking up Anirudha Joshi for Rs 3.60 lakh. Their spin department was reinforced with the signing of Deepak Devadiga (Rs 1.20 lakh).
Meanwhile, the Mangaluru Dragons were active from the outset. They kicked off their campaign with a major signing in Shreyas Gopal for Rs 8.60 lakh. Their trust in all-rounder Melu Kranthi Kumar came at a cost of Rs 5.60 lakh, while seasoned pacers Ronit More (Rs 3.40 lakh) and Abhishek Prabhakar (Rs 3.07 lakh) added depth to the attack. Batting options included Sharath BR (Rs 2.20 lakh) and Shivraj S (Rs 6.55 lakh), while Adarsh Prajwal was picked as a wicketkeeper for Rs 3.25 lakh.
The auction underlined a clear trend - teams are looking to strike the right balance between experience, youth, and specialist roles. With Padikkal leading the pack, all eyes will now turn to the field when the tournament kicks off.
