Four Players Fetch Over Rs 7 Lakh in KCL Auction
12 AUG 2024
In the highly anticipated auction for the inaugural Kerala Cricket League (KCL) held at Hyatt Regency in Thiruvananthapuram, four players secured contracts worth over Rs 7 lakh each. The all-rounder M S Akhil emerged as the top buy, with the Trivandrum Royals acquiring him for Rs 7.4 lakh.
The auction saw Thrissur Titans investing Rs 7.2 lakh on wicketkeeper-batter Varun Nayanar. Manu Krishnan was picked up by the Kochi Blue Tigers for Rs 7 lakh, while Salman Nizar was acquired by the Calicut Globstars for the same amount. In Category C, all-rounder M Nikhil, whose base price was Rs 50,000, was sold for Rs 4.6 lakh to Calicut Globstars.
The auction featured 168 players divided into three categories with different base prices: Category A included players with IPL and Ranji Trophy experience, with a base price of Rs 2 lakh; Category B covered players from CK Nayadu Under-23, Under-19 state, and Under-19 Challenger tournaments, with a base price of Rs 1 lakh; and Category C consisted of Under-16 state players, university players, and club cricketers, with a base price of Rs 50,000.
Notably, seven players from Category B were sold for amounts higher than the base salary of Category A, with all-rounder Akshay Manohar fetching the highest price of Rs 3.6 lakh in Category B, acquired by Thrissur Titans.
A total of 108 players were bought by the franchises: all 31 players in Category A, 21 out of 43 in Category B, and 56 out of 94 in Category C found new teams. Icon players, including P A Abdul Basith (Trivandrum Royals), Sachin Baby (Kollam Sailors), Mohammed Azharuddeen (Alappuzha Ripples), Basil Thampi (Kochi Blue Tigers), Vishnu Vinod (Thrissur Titans), and Rohan S Kunnummal (Calicut Globstars), will receive 10% more than the team’s costliest buy.
The auction was moderated by sports presenter Charu Sharma and broadcast live on Star Sports 3 and FanCode. The KCL matches are scheduled to take place from September 2 to 19 at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, with the league’s official launch set for August 31.
