Over 700 players set to go under the hammer for Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 tournament

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 22 (ANI): As the much-awaited Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 returns with its second edition, the state of Karnataka is buzzing with anticipation. Scheduled to begin from August 13, the league promises to be a thrilling battle of cricketing titans, vying for top honors and a chance to shine on the grand stage.
With the tournament reverting to a franchise-based model this year, the player auction is set to be a captivating affair, scheduled for July 22 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
As per a press release from Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), competing for the coveted trophy will be defending champion Gulbarga Mystics, last year’s runners-up Bengaluru Blasters, Mysore Warriors and Hubli Tigers. This year will also feature two new franchises, namely Mangaluru Dragons and Shivamogga Lions.

Representatives from each team will be eager to go after some of Karnataka’s most prominent cricketers while unearthing the talents of the future in the fiercely contested player auction. Each franchise will have a purse of 50 Lakhs to construct a championship team. Players will be slotted into four categories. Category A will feature India and IPL players, Category B will feature all senior players that have played BCCI State tournaments such as Vijay Hazare Trophy, Ranji Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, while Category C will consist of players from all other BCCI tournaments. Category D is reserved for all registered players of KSCA. The auction stipulates that each team must have a minimum of 16 players and no more than 18 players in addition to the two catchment area players from their respective zones.

Featuring in the auction will some of the finest players in Karnataka including Appanna KP, Abhinav Manohar, Cariappa KC, Devdutt Padikkal, Krishnappa Gowtham, Karun Nair, Manish Pandey, Mayank Agarwal, Abhimanyu Mithun, Pravin Dubey, Ronit More, Shreyas Gopal, Suchith J, Vyshak Vijay Kumar.
Ahead of the auction, BK Sampath Kumar, Commissioner of Maharaja Trophy and Vice President of KSCA said, "Last edition was a tremendous success, we saw many young players make the most of the opportunity. This is the main purpose of the tournament; we want to see more youngsters from Karnataka showcase their potential."
He further added, "This year we have ensured that the auction will be conducted in the most professional manner, with over 700 players featuring in the auction."

With over 700 players featuring the auction, the cricketing fraternity eagerly awaits the unveiling of the new-look squads. (ANI)