Tilak, Siraj headline TG20 auction's icon category; Arfaz Ahmed, Abhirath Reddy and Chandan Sahani top buys in A category
Hyderabad, June 7
The inaugural TG20 Player Auction got underway at Princess Convention Centre, Ramoji Film City, with a player pool comprising over 1,300 HCA-registered cricketers, franchises began assembling their squads by securing some of the state's finest cricketing talent across the Icon, A+ and A categories.
The auction brought together international stars, accomplished domestic performers and promising district cricketers, reflecting TG20's vision of creating a world-class platform for Telangana talent.
India batter Tilak Varma emerged as the highest-valued player of the auction, joining Medak Falcons for Rs 33 Lakhs in the Icon Category. Meanwhile, Mohammed Siraj was picked by Warangal Warriors for Rs 14 Lakhs and CV Milind became the most expensive uncapped player, with Anvita Khammam Aces securing him for Rs 17 Lakhs.
Other notable Icon category signings included Ravi Kiran (Palamuru Strikers), T. Raviteja (Medak Falcons), Tanay Thyagarajan (Pranava Ranga Reddy Risers), Rahul Buddhi (Anurag Nalgonda Knights), Tanmay Agarwal (Karimnagar Diamonds) and Rohit Rayudu (Palamuru Strikers).
In an A+ Category, Aman Rao (Warangal Warriors), Pragnay Reddy (Palamuru Strikers), Ajay Dev Goud (Hyderabad e-Champions), Nitin Sai Yadav, Aaron George and Rakshann Readdi were among the marquee acquisitions as franchises strengthened their core squads.
In an A Category, emerging talents also attracted strong bidding, with Arfaz Ahmed and Abhirath Reddy becoming the joint-highest buys in the category at Rs 11 Lakhs each. Chandan Sahani (Karimnagar Diamonds), Pranav Varma (Hyderabad e-Champions) and Hima Teja (Anvita Khammam Aces) were among the other prominent signings.
The auction proceedings were conducted by renowned sports presenter and auctioneer Charu Sharma, in the presence of franchise owners, team representatives and league officials.
The inaugural edition of TG20 will commence on June 21 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Uppal, featuring 8 franchises competing in 32 matches over 21 action-packed days.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally, a proper state league! Deccan Gladiators in the T10 has been fun, but TG20 feels like a proper step for cricket development in Telangana. So many young players getting their due respect and big money. 👏
Happy to see Siraj get picked, but honestly think he deserved more than 14 lakhs for his current stature. Hope these franchise owners start valuing our international stars at par with what other leagues pay. Still, great initiative overall.
Arfaz Ahmed and Abhirath Reddy - two promising young talents getting 11 lakhs each! This is exactly what domestic cricket needs - financial rewards for performance at the grassroots level. Can't wait for the tournament to begin on June 21. 🏏
As someone who follows Indian domestic cricket closely, this is fantastic. Tilak Varma for 33 lakhs and CV Milind for 17 lakhs are great value picks. The HCA is doing a stellar job creating opportunities beyond Ranji Trophy. Looking forward to seeing the matches at RGIC Stadium.
Very impressed with the vision behind TG20. Over 1300 registered players is huge! And with Charu Sharma as auctioneer, you know the event had class. The only minor complaint is that the highest bid for uncapped players (17 lakhs) seems a bit low compared to other state leagues, but it's a first edition so hopefully it grows.
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