Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Modelled after IPL, the first-ever player auction for the Madhya Pradesh Premier League (MPL) will take place in Indore on Tuesday.
The auction is set to begin at 2:30 PM at the Brilliant Convention Centre, and the auction will see bids placed on 244 players. Each franchise has been allocated a purse of ₹50 lakh for acquiring players.
Following the IPL, the MPL is set to be played in Indore and Gwalior during the month of June.
Big names such as Avesh Khan, Ashutosh Sharma, Aniket Verma, Madhav Tiwari, and Shivang Kumar are expected to attract significant bids.
The auction proceedings in Indore will be conducted by Charu Sharma, a renowned sports presenter and commentator. Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association President Mahanaryaman Scindia will also be present during the event.
The auction features a pool of 244 players, from which the 10 franchise teams will select their squads. A total of 133 to 143 players are expected to be selected across all teams, with each team comprising 16 to 17 players.
Notably, this season, three new teams have joined the league. The seven teams from the previous edition have each retained one player.
Among these, Venkatesh Iyer is the most expensive retention, having been retained by the Pink Panthers for ₹12.5 lakh. While he plays under the captaincy of Rajat Patidar at RCB, Rajat himself has been retained by the Gwalior Cheetahs for ₹7 lakh.
Arshad Khan commands a higher price than Rajat, having been retained by the Bhopal Leopards for ₹8 lakh.
Age Limit Rule
Players under the age of 19 will not be permitted to participate in this league. This decision aligns with the BCCI's policy, which does not conduct T20 tournaments for the junior age categories within its domestic circuit.
The objective is to encourage young players to take the longer formats of the game (Test cricket) seriously.
This transformation will propel Madhya Pradesh cricket to new heights, bringing significant financial and sporting benefits to the state's talented players.
MP representatives in IPL
Eleven players from Madhya Pradesh are participating in the IPL this year. Rajat Patidar, Venkatesh Iyer, and Mangesh Yadav are playing for RCB.
Avesh Khan and Akshat Raghuvanshi are playing for the Lucknow Super Giants.
Arshad Khan and Kulwant Khejroliya are playing for the Gujarat Titans.
Aniket Verma and Shivang Kumar are playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, Kuldeep Sen is playing for the Rajasthan Royals
Madhav Tiwari is playing for the Delhi Capitals.
