Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], July 11 : The player auction for the third season of the Kerala Cricket League (KCL) concluded on Sunday, with Sibin Girish emerging as the costliest player after being signed by Alleppey Ripples for Rs 11.80 lakh.
Sibin, who was placed in Category C with a base price of Rs 75,000, attracted intense bidding following his impressive performances in the previous KCL season and the recently concluded NSK Trophy. Alleppey Ripples outbid Calicut Globstars, Thrissur Titans and Kochi Blue Tigers to secure his services, according to a press release.
Krishnadev was the second-highest bid of the auction after being retained by Calicut Globstars for Rs 11.20 lakh. Veteran batter Sachin Baby was picked up by Alleppey Ripples for Rs 10 lakh.
A total of 18 players had been retained by the six franchises ahead of the auction, while the remaining 89 players were acquired during the bidding process.
Among the Category A players, Sachin Baby, Vishnu Vinod, Nidheesh MD and Basil Thampi were among the biggest earners. Trivandrum Royals signed Vishnu Vinod for Rs 7.80 lakh, Kollam Sailors acquired Nidheesh MD for Rs 6.60 lakh, while Kochi Blue Tigers bought Basil Thampi for Rs 5.40 lakh.
In the all-rounders' category, Abdul Basid was signed by Calicut Globstars for Rs 8 lakh, while Abhijith Praveen joined Alleppey Ripples for Rs 6 lakh. Kollam Sailors also secured M. Ajnas for Rs 7 lakh and Anand Krishnan for Rs 5.20 lakh.
In Category B, M. Nikhil and Akshay Manohar emerged as the top earners, with Trivandrum Royals signing them for Rs 6.20 lakh and Rs 4.80 lakh, respectively.
Besides Sibin Girish and Krishnadev, Category C also witnessed competitive bidding for Amal AG, MS Akhil and Vipul Shakthi. Kollam Sailors signed Amal AG for Rs 3.80 lakh, Thrissur Titans picked up MS Akhil for Rs 3.80 lakh, while Kochi Blue Tigers acquired Vipul Shakthi for Rs 3 lakh.
Ahead of the auction, Aries Kollam Sailors and Thrissur Titans had retained four players each, while Calicut Globstars and Trivandrum Royals retained three players each. Kochi Blue Tigers and Alleppey Ripples had retained two players apiece.
Each franchise had a salary purse of Rs 50 lakh. Trivandrum Royals, Alleppey Ripples and Kochi Blue Tigers exhausted their full purse, while Kollam Sailors spent Rs 49.75 lakh, Calicut Globstars Rs 49.70 lakh and Thrissur Titans Rs 49.35 lakh.
Kochi Blue Tigers and Thrissur Titans completed their squads with 20 players each, Kollam Sailors signed 19 players, while Alleppey Ripples, Calicut Globstars and Trivandrum Royals finalised 16-member squads through the auction.