A wave of energy swept through Mumbai as the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) hosted its Season 3 Player Auction, raising the stakes higher than ever before. Packed with top-tier bids, A-list celebrity presence, and strategic franchise plays, the event marked a defining chapter in India’s fast-evolving tennis-ball T10 cricket scene.
According to multiple reports, close to ₹10 crore (approx. US$ 1.1 million) was spent across 144 players, with eight franchises locking horns in a heated day-long auction. Leading the pack was West Zone’s star all-rounder Vijay Pawle, who fetched a record-breaking ₹32.50 lakh (approx. US$ 36.1K) from defending champions Majhi Mumbai—making him the most expensive player in ISPL history.
Celebrities, strategy, and spectacle light up Season 3 auction
The auction was attended by the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Ajay Devgn—each representing their respective teams as co-owners or core committee members. Their presence added stardust to a league already bursting with ambition.
The day also saw the official unveiling of ‘Street Star’, a humanoid innovation aimed at transforming fan engagement for the upcoming season.
Adding to the momentum were two new teams—Delhi Superheros and Ahmedabad Lions—bringing the total franchises to eight. The tournament will run from January 9 to February 6, 2026, at the Lalbhai Contractor Stadium in Surat.
ISPL Core Committee Member Suraj Samat emphasized the sophistication of this year’s bidding strategies, while speaking during the auction: “This edition of the auction was among the most competitive we have seen so far. Franchises came in with clear strategies, and the use of Googly Power, RTM and retention added great depth to the proceedings. The squads are well-balanced, and we are confident that fans will witness a high-quality and entertaining season in Surat.”
Rising stars command big money across formats
Next to Pawle, Chennai Singams retained Ketan Mhatre for ₹26.40 lakh (approx. US$ 29.3K) under the Right to Match (RTM) option, while Rajendra Singh went to Bengaluru Strikers for ₹26.10 lakh (approx. US$ 29K). Rounding out the top five were Sanjay Kanojjiya (₹24.55 lakh – approx. US$ 27.3K) and Saif Ali (₹23.65 lakh – approx. US$ 26.3K), signed by Ahmedabad Lions and Tiigers of Kolkata respectively.
The Under-19 category witnessed aggressive bidding as well. Ankit Yadav drew ₹6.50 lakh (approx. US$ 7.2K) from Tiigers of Kolkata, while 16-year-old Rudra Patil became the youngest player in ISPL history after being picked by Srinagar Ke Veer at his base price of ₹3 lakh (approx. US$ 3.3K).
Core Committee voices ISPL’s growing mission
The auction was also a platform for ISPL leaders to reflect on the league’s growing purpose and national footprint.
Sachin Tendulkar, speaking during the event, shared a message of passion and purpose with the players:
“I started playing cricket because I was passionate. So, my advice to all the ISPL players is this: be yourself. Whatever you were yesterday, can you better yourself today? This is one such platform where you can go out, express yourself, and everyone is watching you and enjoying your talent. Climb the mountain so that you can see the world, not so that the world can see you.”
Core Committee Member Ashish Shelar emphasized ISPL’s grassroots impact:
“The ISPL was created to give promising talent a stage to shine, and it’s heartening to see lakhs of young players embracing the opportunity. We have built this platform with a professional, future-focused approach, and its impact is already visible. I am confident that ISPL will continue to grow from strength to strength and unlock even more potential across the country.”
Fellow committee member Minal Amol Kale focused on how the auction changes lives:
“The ISPL auction continues to be a career-defining moment for many talented cricketers. This league provides a much-needed platform for budding cricketers who otherwise may not get national exposure. We hope that every player selected this season makes the best use of this opportunity, works hard and moves one step closer to fulfilling their dreams through ISPL.”
Teams, MVP prize and what’s next
With squads locked in and two new franchises onboard, the league now includes Majhi Mumbai, Tiigers of Kolkata, Srinagar Ke Veer, Chennai Singams, Bengaluru Strikers, Falcon Risers Hyderabad, Delhi Superheros, and Ahmedabad Lions.
To raise the stakes even further, the ISPL announced that the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of Season 3 will win a Porsche 911—making it one of the most valuable individual prizes in Indian sport.
From eye-popping bids to bold declarations of intent, the ISPL Season 3 auction has set the stage for a tournament that promises both spectacle and substance.
ISPL Season 3 full team squads and purse summary
Majhi Mumbai
Total Spent – ₹1,36,95,000 (approx. US$ 152.2K)
Purse Remaining – ₹13.05 lakh (approx. US$ 14.5K)
Squad –
Abhishek Kumar Dalhor (Retained Player), Vijay Pawle, Ajaz Bepari, Thomas Dias, Bunty Patel, Gajendra Goswami, Ijaj Ahmad, Kabir Singh, Vedant Desai, Darshan Bandekar, Jignesh Rajput, Eshant Sharma, Jaydeep Bhondivale, Raja Kusum, Mahendra Chandan, Manish Waghmare, Mohammad Zeeshan, Abhisekh Patel.
Chennai Singams
Total Spent – ₹1,41,77,000 (approx. US$ 157.5K)
Purse Remaining – ₹8.23 lakh (approx. US$ 9.1K)
Squad –
Jagannath Sarkar (Retained Player), Ketan Mhatre, Anurag Sarshar, Ankur Singh, Rajesh Sorte, Mohammed Nadeem, Ashish Pal, Aryan Kharkar, Aman Yadav, Dheeraj Singh, Sambhaji Patil, Nagesh Wadekar, Sarfraz Khan, Ankit Yadav, Moyoddin Shaikh, Kisan Satpute, Sunil Kumar, Ganesh Shillikyatar.
Tiigers of Kolkata
Total Spent – ₹1,40,50,000 (approx. US$ 156.1K)
Purse Remaining – ₹9.5 lakh (approx. US$ 10.6K)
Squad –
Bhavesh Pawar (Retained Player), Saif Ali, Saroj Paramanik, Rajat Mundhe, Vivek Shelar, Mahesh Nangude, Karan More, Pavan Kene, Ankit Yadav, Krushna Gawali, Hritik Patil, Vivek Mohanan, Shivam Kumar, Himanshu Patil, Prabjot Singh, Arish Khan, Firdos Alam, Kiran Pawar.
Falcon Risers Hyderabad
Total Spent – ₹1,46,60,000 (approx. US$ 162.9K)
Purse Remaining – ₹3.4 lakh (approx. US$ 3.8K)
Squad –
Mansoor KL (Retained Player), Yogesh Penkar, Shreyash Kadam, Praveen Kumar, Vishwajit Thakur, Vicky Bhoir, Vishal Yadav, Varun Kumar, Nitin Anili Matunge, Sanskar Dhyani, Prashant Gharat, Akash Gautam, Lokesh, Pritpal Singh, Ashirwad Thakur, Rutik Gajar, Pappu Todkar, Vicky Pujari.
Srinagar Ke Veer
Total Spent – ₹59,80,000 (approx. US$ 66.4K)
Purse Remaining – ₹90.2 lakh (approx. US$ 100.2K)
Squad –
Dhananjay Bhintade, Macmillan Govind, Prajyot Ambhire, Harsh Bhoir, Mangesh Vaity, Aryan Naik, Rudra Patil, Harsh Adsul, Devendra Kale, Raju Mukhiya, Dilip Binjwa, Aditya Vikram, Minad Manjrekar, Sahish Mhatre, Amol Nilugade, Shahrukh Khan, Arvind Kumar, Mohd Razi.
Bengaluru Strikers
Total Spent – ₹1,43,85,000 (approx. US$ 159.8K)
Purse Remaining – ₹6.15 lakh (approx. US$ 6.8K)
Squad –
Rajendra Singh, Fardeen Kazi, Krushna Pawar, Sumeet Dhekale, Omkar Keni, Amit Pandey, Vijay Kumar, Bhushan Gole, Badi Rajesh Narayan, Mohit Rathod, Imroz Khan, Dibyendu Paul, Imdad Pasha, Omkar Bhadrike, Raviraj Gaikwad, Pradeep Mishra, Devid Gogoi, Shahid Mir.
Delhi Superheroes
Total Spent – ₹59,60,000 (approx. US$ 66.2K)
Purse Remaining – ₹90.4 lakh (approx. US$ 100.4K)
Squad –
Prathamesh Pawar, Akash Tarekar, Nashant Kumar, Aakash Jagid, Jayesh Patil, Shravan Mishra, Subhajit Jana, Tabraize Ahmad Mughal, Aakash Singh, Mohammadsalim Shahpur, Padmesh Mhatre, Vinayak Bhoir, Vishwajit Mhatre, Dhiraj Bhoir, Nitesh Mali, Sahil Longale, Firoz Shaikh, Amey Patil.
Ahmedabad Lions
Total Spent – ₹1,40,50,000 (approx. US$ 156.1K)
Purse Remaining – ₹9.5 lakh (approx. US$ 10.6K)
Squad –
Sanjay Kanojjiya, Amit Naik, Sikandarbhai Bhatti, Pradeep Patil, Prathamesh Thakare, Jignesh Patel, Birendra Ram, Firas Mohammed, Avinash Rana, Nizam Ali, Majid Yousuf Sheikh, Amay Lad, Asif Luhar, Zaid Khan, Dibakar Gayen, Farman Khan, Ashiq Ali BS, Jayvir Parmar.
