Telangana cricket ushered in a new era as the inaugural TG20 Player Auction got underway at the Princess Convention Centre, Ramoji Film City on Sunday.
With a massive player pool of over 1,300 HCA-registered cricketers, the eight franchises assembled competitive squads by securing top talent across Icon, A+, A, B, and C categories. The auction featured international stars, accomplished domestic players, and promising district cricketers, showcasing TG20’s vision of building a world-class platform for Telangana talent.
A total of 160 players were bought during the auction, including nine Icon players, six A+ players, 30 A category players, eight B category players and 107 players across the C and C2 categories, underlining the league’s strong focus on grassroots talent development and squad depth across all franchises.
In line with TG20’s strong focus on grassroots cricket development, every franchise was mandated to include a minimum of four district cricketers in its squad, while at least two district players must feature in the Playing XI during the tournament. Franchises collectively spent INR 474.45 Lakhs (INR 4.74 Crore) during the auction, with Anurag Nalgonda Knights emerging as the highest spenders at INR 60 Lakhs, followed closely by Pranava Ranga Reddy Risers (INR 59.95 Lakhs), Palamuru Strikers (INR 59.85 Lakhs) and Medak Falcons (INR 59.20 Lakhs), reflecting the competitive nature of the inaugural TG20 player market.
Speaking on the occasion, V. Agam Rao, Chairman, TG20 Governing Council, said: “Today is not just about franchises building squads; it is about creating pathways for Telangana’s cricketers to dream bigger. The response to TG20 has been phenomenal, and the auction reflects the depth of talent that exists across the state.”
TG20 Auction Icon Category Standouts
- Tilak Varma became the highest-valued player, joining Medak Falcons for ₹33 Lakhs.
- Mohammed Siraj was picked by Warangal Warriors for ₹14 Lakhs.
- CV Milind emerged as the most expensive uncapped player, acquired by Anvita Khammam Aces for ₹17 Lakhs.
Other notable Icon 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).
A+ & A Category Highlights
Franchises strengthened their cores with marquee A+ picks such as Aman Rao (Warangal Warriors), Pragnay Reddy (Palamuru Strikers), and Ajay Dev Goud (Hyderabad e-Champions).
In the A Category, emerging talents Arfaz Ahmed and Abhirath Reddy became the joint-highest buys at ₹11 Lakhs each.
B & C Category Focus
The B Category saw valuable additions like Sai Vikas Reddy, Bhavesh Seth, and Ashish Srivastav, while the C Category highlighted TG20’s grassroots focus with promising young players such as Gaurav Reddy, Pratheek Pawar, and Gnana Prakash Reddy.
TG20 Auction Top 5 Buys
| Rank | Player | Team | Category | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tilak Varma | Medak Falcons | Icon | ₹33 Lakhs |
| 2 | CV Milind | Anvita Khammam Aces | Icon (Uncapped) | ₹17 Lakhs |
| 3 | Mohammed Siraj | Warangal Warriors | Icon | ₹14 Lakhs |
| 4 | Arfaz Ahmed | — | A Category | ₹11 Lakhs |
| 5 | Abhirath Reddy | — | A Category | ₹11 Lakhs |
Every franchise must include a minimum of four district cricketers in their squad, with at least two featuring in the Playing XI each match — under
Story first published: Monday, June 8, 2026, 8:59 [IST]
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