It has been a tough time for Sanju Samson. Even though he played a key role in helping India win the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, he is still not getting a place in the playing XI. After failing in three matches, he lost his spot to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Things got worse when he was also left out of India’s T20I squad for the Zimbabwe series.
Now, Kerala fans have another disappointing update to deal with. In the latest development regarding the Kerala Cricket League (KCL), Samson has denied to be part of the auction list. Earlier, he was released by his franchise Kochi Blue Tigers. Now, he isn’t part of the auction list that has 156 players, who will go under the hammer on July 11 in Trivandrum.
It comes as a surprise that Sanju Samson will not play in this year’s KCL. Last season, he was the league’s most expensive player after being bought for ₹26.80 lakh. The amount was more than half of the ₹50 lakh auction purse available to each team. By releasing him, Kochi freed up more than 50 per cent of their budget. We thought that it could’ve been a tactical decision but it looks like Samson has told the Kerela Cricket Association (KCA) that he won’t be playing this time around.
That’s sad for fans, as he is the most loved cricketer in that part of the country. The decision is a bit fascinating as well, since Samson won’t have much on his plate when the the KCL season three will be going on between August 20 to September 5. India’s Test team will be playing two Tests in Sri Lanka at that time, leaving Samson with ample time to play for in the local league. But Samson has chosen not to.
KCL 2026 Retained Players
| Franchise | Retained Players |
|---|---|
| Aries Kollam Sailors | N.M. Sharafuddeen, Abhishek J. Nair, Pawan Raj, Vijay Viswanath |
| Thrissur Titans | Ahammad Imran, Shoun Roger, Aditya Vinod, A.K. Arjun |
| Calicut Globstars | Salman Nizar, Rohan S. Kunnummal, Akhil Scaria |
| Trivandrum Royals | Krishna Prasad, Govind Dev Pai, V. Ajith |
| Kochi Blue Tigers | Saly Samson (Captain), Mohammed Ashiq |
| Alleppey Ripples | Mohammed Azharuddeen |
KCL 2026 Auction: Player Pools
| Pool | No. of Players | Base Price | Eligibility / Category | Notable Players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pool A | 32 | ₹3 lakh | Players with BCCI First-Class, List A, IPL, or India U-19 experience | Sachin Baby, Vishnu Vinod, Basil Thampi, MD Nidheesh |
| Pool B | 37 | ₹1.5 lakh | Young players from the Under-19 and Under-23 system | Aditya Baiju, Amay Manoj, Hrishikesh, Thomas Mathew |
| Pool C | 87 | ₹75,000 | Players from district, zonal, KCA tournaments and standout performers from last season’s KCL | Various emerging players |
KCL 2026 Auction Rules
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Teams | 6 franchises |
| Players Retained | 17 players per franchise |
| Squad Size | 16–20 players |
| Auction Purse | ₹50 lakh per franchise |
| Retention Cost | Amount spent on retained players will be deducted from the auction purse before bidding begins |