After an intense bidding war, RCB star Devdutt Padikkal attracts highest bid

Devdutt Padikkal is making the headlines after the player auction of this year’s Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20, which was held on Tuesday. The star batter attracted Rs 13.20 lakh in the players auction, which was the highest in this year's Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 auction.

After an intense bidding battle, Hubli Tigers successfully roped in the star India batsman. After Padikkal, Abhinav Manohar and Manish Pandey attracted the second-highest bid on the auction day. For Rs 12.20 lakh each, Manohar joined Hubli Tigers, and Pandey went to play for Mysuru Warriors. Apart from the batter, Karnataka pacer Vidwath Kaverappa claimed a bid of Rs 10.80 lakh from Shivamogga Lions. Shivamogga Lions bought India A batter Aneeshwar Gautam for Rs 8.20 lakh. Mysore Warriors have signed a total of 18 players to represent the franchise at this year’s KSCA Maharaja Trophy T20 Tournament to be held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium from Aug. 11 to Aug. 27. 

Before making their way to the auction table with a healthy purse, the team management of defending champions Mysore Warriors decided to retain some of their key players like Karun Nair (Rs. 6.80 lakh), Prasidh M. Krishna (Rs. 3 lakh), C.A. Karthik (Rs. 4.20 lakh), and S.U. Karthik (Rs. 50,000). Hubballi Tigers, Bangalore Blasters, Mangalore Dragons, Gulbarga Mystics, and Shimmoga Lions will be the competitors for the Warriors.

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A potential intense battle in the upcoming season 

This season, the clash between the defending champion and Hubli Tigers will be interesting to watch, as both teams have star power and squad depth with a blend of experience and emerging candidates. 

Mysore Warriors owner Arjun Ranga said, "We are delighted to have selected some of the best players in the state to represent Mysore Warriors at the fourth edition of the Maharaja Trophy. We are ecstatic to witness the team’s performance and are hoping to win this year’s title. We are optimistic, as the team will definitely bring the fight to the field for truly entertaining matches."