The 2025 Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 auction offered a mix of surprises and big bids as teams finalised their squads for the upcoming season. RCB opener Devdutt Padikkal led the pack, becoming the most expensive player sold on the day.
The spotlight also turned to Samit Dravid - son of Indian legend Rahul Dravid, who went unsold in the auction. The auction was held for the fourth edition of Karnataka's premier domestic T20 league.
Several familiar names including Manish Pandey and Abhinav Manohar earned strong bids.
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Samit Dravid goes unsold
Category C featured junior state players - including 19-year-old Samit Dravid. Despite his famous surname and being part of the auction pool, Samit Dravid did not find any buyer at the auction and went unsold.
His absence from the final list of sold players drew attention though it's not uncommon for younger players to miss out in auctions with high competition.
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RCB star Devdutt Padikkal fetches highest price in KSCA auction
Devdutt Padikkal was the headline pick of the day, going to Hubli Tigers for ₹13.20 lakh. The franchise also bagged Abhinav Manohar for ₹12.20 lakh and experienced batter Mohammad Taha for ₹4.60 lakh.
Padikkal's aggressive form in the IPL made him a hot property and the Hubli Tigers didn't hesitate to go all in.
From Kaverappa to Patil - bowlers get big paydays
Among bowlers, Shivamogga Lions bought Vidwath Kaverappa for ₹10.80 lakh, Bengaluru Blasters bought Vidyadhar Patil for ₹8.30 lakh, and Gulbarga Mystics picked up last season's top wicket-taker, Lavish Kaushal, for ₹7.75 lakh.
Mangaluru Dragons sought experience; they picked Shreyas Gopal (₹8.60 lakh) and Ronit More (₹3.40 lakh). Bengaluru Blasters focused on youth and all-around depth.
Mysuru Warriors added Kumar LR and K Gowtham to their line-up. Gulbarga Mystics made late moves to strengthen their bowling.
With two players still to be added from catchment areas, final squad lists will be completed soon.