Tilak Varma Becomes Costliest Player at ₹33 Lakh- IPL

Telangana cricket entered a new era as the inaugural TG20 Player Auction was held at the Princess Convention Centre in Ramoji Film City. The auction marked the beginning of Telangana’s premier franchise-based T20 league, with more than 1,300 HCA-registered cricketers available for selection. Franchises picked players from various categories to build their squads for the first season.

The Icon category grabbed the spotlight, with Tilak Varma becoming the most expensive player after Medak Falcons signed him for ₹33 lakh. Mohammed Siraj was picked by Warangal Warriors for ₹14 lakh, while CV Milind became the highest-priced uncapped player after joining Anvita Khammam Aces for ₹17 lakh.

Several other well-known players were also signed during the auction. Ravi Kiran joined Palamuru Strikers, T. Raviteja moved to Medak Falcons, Tanay Thyagarajan was picked by Pranava Ranga Reddy Risers, Rahul Buddhi joined Anurag Nalgonda Knights, while Tanmay Agarwal and Rohit Rayudu were signed by Karimnagar Diamonds and Palamuru Strikers respectively.

In the A+ category, players such as Aman Rao, Pragnay Reddy, Ajay Dev Goud, Nitin Sai Yadav, Aaron George and Rakshann Readdi attracted strong bids. Meanwhile, Arfaz Ahmed and Abhirath Reddy became the highest buys in the A category at ₹11 lakh each, while several other emerging players also secured contracts.

The auction was attended by more than 300 people, including franchise owners, former cricketers, officials and team representatives. A total of 160 players were sold, including nine Icon players, six A+ players, 30 A-category players, eight B-category players and 107 players from the C and C2 categories.

To promote grassroots cricket, each franchise must include at least four district cricketers in its squad and field a minimum of two district players in every match. Overall, franchises spent ₹4.74 crore during the auction, with Anurag Nalgonda Knights spending the most at ₹60 lakh. The inaugural TG20 season will begin on June 21, 2026, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal.

Most Expensive Players