T20 Mumbai League auction | Ankolekar the most expensive buy

Suryakumar with MCA president Ajinkya Naik.
| Photo Credit: special arrangement

 Youngsters Atharva Ankolekar and Musheer Khan were the highlights of the T20 Mumbai League auction as eight teams were involved in an intense bidding on Wednesday.

While Eagle Thane Strikers roped in left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Ankolekar for a whopping ₹16.25 lakh, Musheer and Sairaj Patil went to ARCS Andheri and Eagle Thane Strikers respectively for ₹15 lakh each.

Ayush Mhatre and Angkrish Raghuvanshi were roped in by Triumph Knights Mumbai North East (₹14.75 lakh) and SoBo Mumbai Falcons (₹14 lakh).

The seasoned spinner Shams Mulani, too, got a ₹14 lakh deal from Aakash Tigers Mumbai Western Suburbs.

Tanush Kotian, who was part of India’s Test squad in Australia, went to North Mumbai Panthers for ₹10 lakh.

With the league returning after six years, nearly 280 players went under the hammer, and as youngsters Mhatre and Raghuvanshi garnered all the attention, India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav heaped praise on both.

“Both are very promising cricketers and crazy young talent, very hardworking, good boys. You’re seeing what’s happening with them when they’re playing franchise cricket. It’s really a great thing that two young boys are making a mark in franchise cricket at such a young age and are dominating,” Suryakumar, who is the icon player for Triumph Knights Mumbai North East, said.

Mumbai Cricket Association president Ajinkya Naik confirmed that the tournament will have the Impact Player rule, on the lines of the IPL.