Siraj, Tilak to headline inaugural TG20 player auction on June 7

With a purse of ₹60 lakh per team and over 1,300 HCA players in the pool, India stars Mohammed Siraj and Tilak Varma lead the charge for the inaugural Telangana T20 league auction

Hyderabad: India internationals Mohammed Siraj and Tilak Varma will headline the marquee player auction pool for the inaugural edition of the TG20 franchise cricket league, scheduled for Sunday at the Princess Convention Centre in Ramoji Film City.

The auction pool features several established domestic heavyweights, including Rohit Rayudu, Rahul Buddhi, CV Milind, and Tanmay Agarwal, all of whom are expected to trigger intense bidding wars among franchise owners.

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The list also highlights some of Telangana’s brightest emerging prospects, including India U-19 representative Aaron George and key members of the state’s recent Vinoo Mankad Trophy-winning squad.

More than 1,300 Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA)-registered cricketers will go under the hammer as the eight franchises begin assembling their squads for the state’s landmark sporting event.

The auction marks a major milestone for TG20, Telangana’s first-ever franchise-based T20 tournament.

The league is set to feature eight franchise teams competing across 32 matches over a 21-day window, bringing together the finest cricketing talent from across the state.

The eight franchises competing in the inaugural season are the Hyderabad e-Champions, Pranava Ranga Reddy Risers, Warangal Warriors, Medak Falcons, Anurag Nalgonda Knights, Karimnagar Diamonds, Palamuru Strikers, and Anvita Khammam Aces.

The auction process will commence with the marquee ‘Icon’ category, followed by the A+, A, B, C1, and C2 divisions, enabling franchises to build balanced and competitive squads of up to 20 players each.

To ensure grassroots representation, every franchise must include a minimum of four district cricketers in its squad, with at least two district players featuring in the playing XI.

Teams will also have the opportunity to pick promising U-19 talent and players who excelled during the league’s extensive open-trial program.

Each franchise will enter the auction room with a purse of Rs.60 lakh and a mandatory minimum spend of Rs.54 lakh, ensuring competitive parity and strategic squad-building throughout the day.

Former India international Ambati Rayudu, Chairman of the HCA’s Cricket Operations Committee, and his team have played a pivotal role in the build-up.

They conducted extensive open trials that generated unprecedented interest among aspiring cricketers from both urban and rural district regions.

The auction proceedings will be conducted by renowned sports presenter Charu Sharma, whose veteran experience across leading professional sports leagues is expected to add flair and strict professionalism to the event.

Cricket fans across Telangana can follow the auction live on JioHotstar, providing a front-row seat to the formation of the inaugural TG20 rosters.

Speaking on the occasion, V. Agam Rao, Chairman of the TG20 Governing Council, said: “TG20 is much more than a cricket tournament. It is a platform created to identify, nurture, and showcase Telangana’s cricketing talent on a professional stage. The player auction represents the beginning of that journey, where dreams will meet opportunity. We are confident that TG20 will become a landmark sporting property for Telangana and a powerful pathway for aspiring cricketers from every corner of the state.”

The inaugural edition of TG20 is scheduled to commence on June 21 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal, with all matches set to be played at the premier international venue.