Star cricketer Sanju Samson recently created history by becoming the most expensive player to be auctioned at the Kerala Cricket League ahead of the upcoming second edition of the marquee tournament. The move is a huge one for the stumper-batter, since he was dropped from Kerala squad by the state association for the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 over a controversial absence from the preparatory camp ahead of the 50-over domestic tournament.
Sanju has been brought by Kochi Blue Tigers for a whopping sum of INR 26.80 lakh. His base price was just INR 3 lakh, but given what he brings to the table with his years of experience in international cricket and the Indian Premier League, bidders did not hesitate in raising their paddles to bag the services of the seasoned campaigner. Notably, the dynamic wicketkeeper-batter was absent from the inaugural edition of the tournament owing to his commitments with the Indian national team.
“Sanju has been playing non-stop cricket from March till July. Two months of IPL plus the T20 World Cup have been taxing. Even after the T20 World Cup, he was part of the Indian T20 teams which toured Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. Hence, Sanju asked the KCA (Kerala Cricket Association) officials for a break. His name was not listed in the player auction too,” KCA officials had informed previously regarding his absence, as quoted by Indian Express.
Apart from Samson, Vishnu Vinod was the second-highest in the list of most expensive players after Samson, as he was snapped up by Aries Kollam franchise for a massive price of INR 13.8 lakh. Notably, Vishnu Vinod has represented teams like Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League over the years.
Furthermore, the experienced all-rounder and domestic cricket legend Jalaj Saxena will be playing for Alleppey Ripples, after being sold for INR 12.4 lakh. The schedule for the second season and more details are currently awaited and will be released by the organizers in due course.
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