The Indian Street Premier League (ISPL), India’s innovative tennis-ball T10 cricket league, had a record-breaking Season 3 Player Auction, with over INR 10 crore spent on 144 players as eight franchises competed in an intensive day of bidding in Mumbai.
Vijay Pawle was the auction’s greatest draw, receiving INR 32.50 lakh, the league’s highest-ever price tag, from reigning champions Majhi Mumbai. The talented all-rounder from the West Zone returns to familiar ground after leading Mumbai to the title last season. Ketan Mhatre, also from the West Zone, was retained by Chennai Singams under the Right to Match (RTM) card for INR 26.40 lakh, earning him the day’s second-highest choice.
Season 3 aims to be the most competitive ever, with two new teams joining the league: Ahmedabad Lions and Delhi Superheros. The tournament will take place in Surat’s Lalbhai Contractor Stadium between January 9 and February 6, 2026.
This year’s auction highlighted the ISPL’s expanding impact, with 408 players from 101 locations going under the hammer.
The event featured some of the greatest personalities in cricket and entertainment, notably ISPL Core Committee members Sachin Tendulkar, Ashish Shelar, Minal Amol Kale, Suraj Samat, and Dipak Chauhan, President of Operations.
Furthermore, team co-owners in attendance consisted of Akshay Kumar (Srinagar Ke Veer), Saif Ali Khan & Aksha Kamboj (Tiigers of Kolkata), Hrithik Roshan and Divy Dangi (Bengaluru Strikers), Niti Agarwal (Majhi Mumbai), Zayd Noman (Falcon Risers Hyderabad), Rajdip Gupta (Chennai Singams), and Ajay Devgn, Jahidhmohmed Vijapura & Izazahmad Khanusiya (Ahmedabad Lions), along with Salman Khan and Arpita Khan Sharma (Delhi Superheros).
The day began on a high note with the official debut of the ‘Street Star’, a humanoid invention that promises to transform fan participation in ISPL Season 3.
The U-19 division received intense bidding. Ankit Yadav emerged as the most expensive kid, signing with the Tiigers of Kolkata for INR 6.50 lakh. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Rudra Patil made history as the youngest Season 3 participant, selected by Srinagar Ke Veer at his base price of INR 3 lakh.
Sachin Tendulkar, Core Committee Member, ISPL , said, “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.”
Ashish Shelar, Core Committee Member, ISPL, said, “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.”
Minal Amol Kale, Core Committee Member, ISPL, “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.”
Suraj Samat, Core Committee Member and League Commissioner, ISPL, said, “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.”
The league now comprises eight teams, with the inclusion of Delhi Superheros and Ahmedabad Lions. They have joined Majhi Mumbai, Tiigers of Kolkata, Srinagar Ke Veer, Chennai Singams, Bengaluru Strikers, and Falcon Risers Hyderabad.
The ISPL has also announced that the MVP for Season 3 would win a Porsche 911, making it one of the most valued individual trophies in Indian sports.
Top-5 Buys:
Vijay Pawle – ₹32.50 lakh (Majhi Mumbai) RTM
Ketan Mhatre – ₹26.40 lakh (Chennai Singams) RTM
Rajendra Singh – ₹26.10 lakh (Bengaluru Strikers)
Sanjay Kanojjiya – ₹24.55 lakh (Ahmedabad Lions)
Saif Ali – ₹23.65 lakh (Tiigers of Kolkata)
Top-5 Batters:
Ketan Mhatre – ₹26.40 lakh (Chennai Singams) RTM
Sanjay Kanojjiya – ₹24.55 lakh (Ahmedabad Lions)
Saif Ali – ₹23.65 lakh (Tiigers of Kolkata)
Yogesh Penkar – ₹22.45 lakh (Falcon Risers Hyderabad)
Fardeen Kazi – ₹22.30 (Bengaluru Strikers)
Top-5 Bowlers
Rajendra Singh – ₹26.10 (Bengaluru Strikers)
Anurag Sarshar – ₹19.20 lakh (Chennai Singams)
Vicky Bhoir – ₹12 lakh (Falcon Risers Hyderabad)
Nizam Ali – ₹9 lakh (Ahmedabad Lions)
Vivek Shelar – ₹7 lakh (Tiigers of Kolkata)
Top All-Rounders:
Vijay Pawle – ₹32.50 lakh (Majhi Mumbai) RTM
Saroj Parmanik – ₹20.60 lakh (Tiigers of Kolkata)
Praveen Kumar – ₹16.50 lakh (Falcon Risers Hyderabad)
Vishwajit Thakur – ₹15 lakh (Falcon Risers Hyderabad)
