Sanju Samson tops KPL auction, bought by Kochi Blue Tigers for ₹26.8 lakh

Thiruvananthapuram: Indian cricketer Sanju Samson has emerged as the most expensive player in the second season of the Kerala Premier League (KPL) after being signed by the Kochi Blue Tigers for a record sum of ₹26.80 lakh.

According to a statement issued by the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA), the highly anticipated player auction concluded on Saturday with fierce bidding for the Rajasthan Royals captain, who is set to feature prominently in the upcoming KPL edition. Kochi Blue Tigers, Trivandrum Royals, and Thrissur Titans were locked in a bidding war before Kochi secured Samson’s services.

The auction, held in the presence of Kerala's General Education Minister V Sivankutty, also saw wicketkeeper-batter Vishnu Vinod being signed by Aries Kollam Sailors for ₹12.80 lakh and all-rounder Jalaj Saxena being picked up by Alleppey Ripples for ₹12.40 lakh.

Out of 168 players available, 91 were successfully acquired by teams during the auction. Prior to the event, the teams from Kollam, Alappuzha, and Kozhikode had retained four players each, while Thiruvananthapuram had retained three.

M S Akhil, the most valuable player of the previous season, also attracted competitive bids and was eventually acquired by Kollam Sailors for ₹8.40 lakh.

Each KPL team was allowed a maximum auction spend of ₹50 lakh. Kochi Blue Tigers used their full purse, while Kollam and Calicut spent ₹49.80 lakh each. Trivandrum Royals allocated ₹49.40 lakh, Alleppey Ripples ₹49.35 lakh, and Thrissur Titans ₹49.65 lakh.

With PTI inputs