Kolkata, May 12: The Bengal T20 League has seen franchises invest approximately ₹4.5 crore in both men’s and women’s teams. In this auction, Meeta Paul emerged as the most expensive female player, fetching ₹3 lakh, while Shahbaz Ahmed topped the men’s auction at ₹12.20 lakh. Ahead of the 2026 season, over 250 players secured contracts from a pool of more than 1,000.
Combined, franchises signed 136 players for the men’s team and 128 for the women’s team. Each men’s franchise was required to form a squad of 17 players, including at least two under-19 players. Meanwhile, each women’s franchise built a team of 16 players, also including a minimum of two under-15 players.
The men’s auction, a first in the history of the Bengal T20 League, witnessed several high-profile players. Indian all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed was the most expensive player at ₹12.20 lakh, retained by the Shrachi Tribes Rar Tigers through the Right to Match (RTM) option. Many players exceeded ₹8 lakh in bids.
There was also significant demand for young players in the men’s auction. Ravi Kumar became the most expensive under-19 player at ₹7.80 lakh, while Rohit topped the under-16 category at ₹5.20 lakh.
The women’s auction saw substantial investments in both established names and young talents. More than ten players were sold for over ₹2 lakh, and all players in the ‘A Plus’ category were acquired by franchises.
Meeta Paul was retained by the Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers through RTM. Among emerging talents, 13-year-old Ariktha Manna stood out, being purchased by the Rashmi Medinipur Wizards for ₹1.55 lakh. In total, franchises spent around ₹88 lakh in the women’s auction.
Top 10 Expensive Players in Men’s Auction:
1. Shahbaz Ahmed: ₹12.20 lakh (RTM) – Shrachi Tribes Rar Tigers.
2. Abhishek Porel: ₹10.40 lakh – Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers.
3. Mukesh Kumar: ₹9.60 lakh (RTM) – Sobisco Smashers Malda.
4. Sudip Kumar Gharami: ₹9.40 lakh – Novas Purulia Royals.
5. Yuvraj Deepak Keswani: ₹8.60 lakh – Novas Purulia Royals.
6. Saksham Chaudhary: ₹8.40 lakh – Murshidabad Kings.
7. Hrithik Chatterjee: ₹8.20 lakh – Edmas Howrah Warriors.
8. Ravi Kumar (Under-19): ₹7.80 lakh – Novas Purulia Royals.
9. Rohit (Under-16): ₹5.20 lakh – Novas Purulia Royals.
10. Subham Sarkar: ₹4.80 lakh – Rashmi Medinipur Wizards.
Top 10 Expensive Players in Women’s Auction:
1. Meeta Paul: ₹3 lakh (RTM) – Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers.
2. Dhara Guzzar: ₹2.85 lakh – Novas Purulia Royals.
3. Tanushree Sarkar: ₹2.35 lakh (RTM) – Murshidabad Queens.
4. Priyanka Bala: ₹2.25 lakh (RTM) – Servotech Siliguri Strikers.
5. Prativa Rana: ₹2.15 lakh (RTM) – Murshidabad Queens.
6. Rishita Basu: ₹2.10 lakh – Rashmi Medinipur Wizards.
7. Piyali Ghosh: ₹2.10 lakh (RTM) – Shrachi Tribes Rar Tigers.
8. Sujata De: ₹2.05 lakh – Edmas Howrah Warriors.
9. Prativa (U19): ₹2.05 lakh – Sobisco Smashers Malda.
10. Trishita Sarkar: ₹2.05 lakh – Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers.
Top Selections for Under-15 and Emerging Talents:
1. Ariktha Manna (13 years, Under-15): ₹1.55 lakh – Rashmi Medinipur Wizards.
2. Debasmita Khalsa (14 years, Under-15): ₹65,000 – Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers.
3. Manushree Rajak (14 years, Under-15): ₹50,000 – Rashmi Medinipur Wizards.
4. Sneha Mahato (14 years, Under-15): ₹48,000 – Servotech Siliguri Strikers.
5. Saikh Athiyana (14 years, Under-15): ₹40,000 – Sobisco Smashers Malda.
6. Tanisha Das (14 years, Under-15): ₹34,000 – Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers.
7. Protishtha Dutta (14 years, Under-15): ₹32,000 – Edmas Howrah Warriors.
8. Piyali Roy (13 years, Under-15): ₹30,000 – Novas Purulia Royals.
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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