The Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 auction, held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday, witnessed a flurry of exciting bids, with L.R. Chethan emerging as the top draw. The 24-year-old right-hand batsman, who previously played for Gulbarga Mystics, saw his price skyrocket from ₹6.2 lakh in 2023 to a whopping ₹8.6 lakh, secured by Kalyani Bengaluru Blasters. This princely sum highlights Chethan’s potential and the confidence the Bengaluru team has in his abilities.
The auction also saw significant deals for seasoned players. Shreyas Gopal, known for his leg-spin prowess, was acquired by Mangaluru Dragons for ₹7.60 lakh, while K. Gowtham, a versatile all-rounder, went to Mysuru Warriors for ₹7.4 lakh. Wicketkeeper-batter Luvnith Sisodia also secured a lucrative contract, earning ₹7.20 lakh from Gulbarga.
Mohammed Taha, the player of the tournament in 2023, returned to defending champions Hubli Tigers for ₹6.60 lakh, a substantial increase from his 2023 price tag. His impressive performance last year, where he scored 448 runs at a strike-rate of 173.64, undoubtedly contributed to his rising value.
Left-arm pacer Abhilash Shetty also saw his stock rise, moving to Mangaluru for ₹6.3 lakh, a significant jump from the ₹1 lakh he earned a year ago at Gulbarga. Bengaluru made a bold move by splurging ₹6.2 lakh on left-arm speedster Lavish Kaushal, a registered Karnataka State Cricket Association player who was in the lowest Category-D in the auction.
Karnataka’s age-group cricketers, who had recently won the red-ball double of Cooch Behar Trophy (U-19) and Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy (U-23), attracted significant attention. Hardik Raj was picked up by Shivamogga Lions for ₹5.8 lakh, while Macneil Hadley Noronha went to Mangaluru for ₹5 lakh. Aneeshwar Gautam experienced a meteoric rise, jumping from ₹2 lakh (Mangaluru) to ₹6.20 lakh (Hubli), while 18-year-old Samit Dravid, son of Indian legend Rahul Dravid, was selected by Mysuru for ₹0.5 lakh.
However, not all players saw their value appreciate. Oft-injured India pacer Prasidh Krishna’s value depreciated from ₹7.4 lakh to ₹1 lakh, likely due to his injury history. Senior cricketer R. Samarth, who scored 422 runs at a strike-rate of 141.61 in 2023, opted out of the auction after moving to Uttarakhand.
The 2024 Maharaja Trophy, featuring these exciting players, is set to commence in Bengaluru on August 15, promising an enthralling season of T20 cricket.
