Bengaluru, August 10, 2016: Rongsen Jonathan, Railways Ranji Trophy batsman and Prateek Jain, left arm fast bowler went for the highest bids as 219 cricketers went under Charu Sharma’s hammer at the auction for the 5th Karbonn Karnataka Premier League powered by Cycle Pure Agarabathies held at the Karnataka State Cricket Association premises on Wednesday.
Jonathan, who turned out for Belagavi Panthers last season, was snapped up by Mysuru Warriors for a whopping Rs 3.5 lakh. Prateek Jain who played for Hubli Tigers last year was purchased by Bellary Tuskers for a similar amount.
Seven of the teams had already retained four players apiece and today’s auction, in front of a capacity crowd of franchises, players, KSCA committee members, sponsors and media, along with addition of catchment players, completed their respective squads for the KPL tournament to be played at Mysuru and Hubbali from September 16 to October 1. The eighth team, Rockstars, also added six players to their complete their squad.
Among others who went for bids in excess of Rs 3 lakh were Suneel Raju, hard-hitting batsman and off spinner who was picked up by the Tuskers for Rs 3.35 lakh and young fast medium bowler Vyshak Vijayakumar, bagged by Mysuru Warriors for Rs 3.2 lakh, Arshdeep Singh Brar, a hard hitting batsman was bought by Bijapur Bulls for Rs 2.6 lakh while fast bowling all rounder David Mathias who made his first class debut for Karnataka last season, was sold to Namma Shivamogga for an identical amount.
Another Karnataka cricketer, left hand batsman Shishir Bhavane was sold to Mangalore United for Rs 2.5 lakh. Manjesh Reddy, an aggressive batsman, was pouched by Hubli Tigers for Rs 2.55 lakh.
India Test cricketer KL Rahul went unsold as the teams expected him to be called up for national duty during the period of the KPL. The other India player in the auction today, Stuart Binny initially went unsold in Pool A auction, but was later reintroduced in Pool B sales. He was bagged by Namma Shivamogga for a bargain price of Rs 70,000.
The Rockstars, permitted just one purchase from Pool A, went for medium pacer SL Akshay (Rs 2 lakh).
