Kolkata, May 12: In a remarkable display of investment, franchises in the Bengal T20 League have spent approximately ₹4.5 crore on both men’s and women’s teams. Meeta Paul emerged as the most expensive female player, fetching ₹3 lakh, while Shahbaz Ahmed topped the men’s auction with a price of ₹12.20 lakh. Ahead of the 2026 season, over 250 players secured contracts from a pool of more than 1,000.
Combining both auctions, franchises signed 136 players for the men’s team and 128 for the women’s team. Each men’s franchise was required to assemble a squad of 17 players, including at least two under-19 players, while women’s franchises formed teams of 16 players, with a minimum of two under-15 players.
The men’s auction, a first in the history of the Bengal T20 League, saw several high-value players sold. Indian all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed was retained by the ‘Shrachi Tribes Rar Tigers’ through the Right to Match (RTM) option. Many players exceeded a price of ₹8 lakh.
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 witnessed 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 the RTM option. Among the emerging young talents, 13-year-old Ariktha Manna was acquired by the ‘Rashmi Medinipur Wizards’ for ₹1.55 lakh. In total, franchises spent approximately ₹88 lakh in the women’s auction.
The top ten expensive players in the men’s auction included:
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: ₹4.8 lakh – Rashmi Medinipur Wizards.
The top ten expensive players in the women’s auction included:
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) – Sarvotek 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.
The largest selections of under-15 and emerging talents included:
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 – Sarvotek 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.
Deependra Singh Chundawat is a Senior Sub-Editor at Udaipur Kiran, specializing in a wide range of technology topics including mobile phones, applications, gaming, PCs, and wearables. Along with covering the latest tech news, he also creates engaging web stories. Passionate about emerging technologies, he stays up to date with the newest trends and enjoys reading and writing about the latest mobile launches and digital innovations.