Tilak Varma Emerges Costliest Pick at Rs 33 Lakh in Inaugural TG20 Auction in Hyderabad
Hyderabad, June 7 (TNT): India batter Tilak Varma became the most expensive player in the inaugural TG20 player auction held at the Princess Convention Centre in Ramoji Film City on Sunday, ahead of the launch of Telangana’s premier franchise-based T20 cricket league.
Tilak was acquired by Medak Falcons for ₹33 lakh, making him the highest-valued player of the auction.
Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj was picked up by Warangal Warriors for ₹14 lakh, while all-rounder C.V. Milind emerged as the most expensive uncapped player after being signed by Anvita Khammam Aces for ₹17 lakh.
The auction featured a pool of more than 1,300 cricketers registered with the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), with eight franchises competing to build their squads across the Icon, A+ and A categories.
Other notable signings in the Icon category 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).
In the A+ category, franchises strengthened their line-ups by signing players such as Aman Rao (Warangal Warriors), Pragnay Reddy (Palamuru Strikers), Ajay Dev Goud (Hyderabad e-Champions), Nitin Sai Yadav, Aaron George and Rakshann Readdi.
Young talents also attracted strong bidding interest. Arfaz Ahmed and Abhirath Reddy emerged as the joint-highest buys in the A category, each fetching ₹11 lakh.
Other prominent acquisitions included Chandan Sahani (Karimnagar Diamonds), Pranav Varma (Hyderabad e-Champions) and Hima Teja (Anvita Khammam Aces).
The auction was conducted by renowned sports presenter and auctioneer Charu Sharma in the presence of franchise owners, team representatives and league officials.
Organisers said the TG20 league is aimed at creating a world-class platform for Telangana cricketers by bringing together international stars, established domestic performers and emerging district-level talent.
The inaugural TG20 tournament will begin on June 21 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Uppal, with eight franchises competing in 32 matches over 21 days.
League officials expressed confidence that TG20 would play a significant role in identifying and nurturing cricketing talent from Telangana while enhancing the state’s profile in the domestic T20 ecosystem.
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