Maharaja Trophy 2026 Auction: KL Rahul Goes Unsold; Check Top Buys players
In a shocking turn of events, Team India’s prominent batter KL Rahul went unsold during the auction. Along with him, former Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid's son, Samit Dravid, also failed to find a buyer this season.
Bengaluru: The player auction for the highly anticipated Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 2026 tournament concluded today, delivering some major surprises. Maharaja Trophy 2026 Auction: KL Rahul Goes Unsold; Check Top Buys players.
In a shocking turn of events, Team India’s prominent batter KL Rahul went unsold during the auction. Along with him, former Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid’s son, Samit Dravid, also failed to find a buyer this season.
The 5th edition of the Maharaja Trophy is scheduled to take place from June 20 to July 12, 2026. While some big names missed out, Karnataka’s domestic superstars like Mayank Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal, and Manish Pandey triggered intense bidding wars and bagged lucrative deals.
Top 5 Most Expensive Players in Maharaja Trophy 2026:
During the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 2026 player auction, several of Karnataka’s top domestic cricket stars triggered intense bidding wars, commanding impressive prices. Mayank Agarwal emerged as the most expensive player of the auction, with the Kalyani Bengaluru Blasters securing his services for a staggering ₹14.00 Lakh.
The Hubli Tigers made massive moves to bolster their squad, splurging a combined total to rope in both Devdutt Padikkal for ₹13.20 Lakh and the explosive batter Abhinav Manohar for ₹12.20 Lakh. Matching Manohar’s price tag, veteran batsman Manish Pandey was acquired by the Mysore Warriors for an identical ₹12.20 Lakh to add vital experience to their batting order.
Rounding out the top five highest-paid players, the Shivamogga Lions heavily backed their fast-bowling attack by signing pacer Vidwath Kaverappa for ₹10.80 Lakh.
Maharaja Trophy 2026 Team-Wise Top Buys:
Each franchise picked a minimum of 16 and a maximum of 18 players during the auction. Additionally, teams have mandatorily included two ‘Catchment Area’ (local talent) players in their squads.
1. Hubli Tigers
The Hubli franchise spent heavily to secure a explosive batting lineup by roping in Padikkal and Abhinav Manohar.
Devdutt Padikkal – ₹13.20 Lakh
Abhinav Manohar – ₹12.20 Lakh
Mohammed Taha – ₹4.60 Lakh
K.C. Cariappa – ₹4.20 Lakh
Samarth Nagaraj – ₹3.20 Lakh
2. Kalyani Bengaluru Blasters
The Bengaluru team broke the bank for veteran opener Mayank Agarwal to solidify their top order and leadership department.
Mayank Agarwal – ₹14.00 Lakh
Vidyadhar Patil – ₹8.30 Lakh
Chetan L.R – ₹5.10 Lakh
Shubhang Hegde – ₹4.30 Lakh
Rohan Patil – ₹2.70 Lakh
3. Mysore Warriors
The Warriors heavily focused on experienced batters and proven all-rounders for the upcoming season.
Manish Pandey – ₹12.20 Lakh
Karun Nair – ₹6.80 Lakh
Shikhar Shetty – ₹4.70 Lakh
K. Gowtham – ₹4.40 Lakh
C.A. Karthik – ₹4.20 Lakh
Prasidh Krishna – ₹2.00 Lakh
4. Gulbarga Mystics
Gulbarga focused on strengthening their bowling department and securing reliable wicketkeeping options.
Vyshak Vijaykumar – ₹8.80 Lakh
Lavish Kaushal – ₹7.75 Lakh
Luvnith Sisodia – ₹7.20 Lakh
Praveen Dubey – ₹6.80 Lakh
K.V. Siddharth – ₹6.10 Lakh
5. Coastal Kings Mangaluru
Entering the tournament as a new franchise, the Mangaluru team prioritized high-quality spinners and utility all-rounders.
Shreyas Gopal – ₹8.60 Lakh
Shivaraj S – ₹6.55 Lakh
Abhilash Shetty – ₹6.30 Lakh
Melu Kranti Kumar – ₹5.60 Lakh
Macneil Hadley Noronha – ₹5.00 Lakh
6. Shivamogga Lions
The Lions made substantial investments to build a fierce and potent fast-bowling attack.
Vidwath Kaverappa – ₹10.80 Lakh
Aneeshwar Gautam – ₹8.20 Lakh
Vasuki Koushik – ₹5.90 Lakh
Hardik Raj – ₹5.80 Lakh
Avinash D – ₹5.40 Lakh
The thrilling 5th season of the Maharaja Trophy T20 will be played across three major venues in Karnataka: Mysuru, Hubballi, and Bengaluru.
