Kerala Cricket League 2026 Auction: Remaining Purse, Slots Left of All Six Teams ahead of KCL Season 3 Auction

The stage is set for the Kerala Cricket League (KCL) Season 3 player auction, with all six franchises finalising their retentions ahead of Saturday's bidding war in Thiruvananthapuram.

Each team has been allotted a ₹50 lakh auction purse, with the amount spent on retained players deducted before the auction begins.

A total of 156 players will go under the hammer as franchises look to complete squads comprising 16 to 20 players.

Among the six teams, Alleppey Ripples head into the auction with the biggest remaining purse of ₹42.5 lakh, having retained just one player. The franchise also has the highest number of minimum slots to fill, requiring at least 15 more players to complete its squad.

Kochi Blue Tigers are another team with plenty of flexibility. Having retained only two players, they have ₹41 lakh left in their purse and a minimum of 14 slots to fill. Trivandrum Royals, who retained three players, will enter the auction with ₹39.5 lakh, while Thrissur Titans and defending champions Aries Kollam Sailors each have ₹34.5 lakh remaining after retaining four players apiece.

Calicut Globstars, despite retaining their core trio, possess the smallest remaining purse of ₹33.75 lakh. However, the franchise still has 13 minimum slots to strengthen its squad.

With experienced campaigners such as Sachin Baby, Vishnu Vinod, Basil Thampi and MD Nidheesh among the marquee names available, franchises will be keen to balance proven performers with emerging local talent. The auction promises intense bidding as teams attempt to build championship-winning squads for the third edition of Kerala's premier franchise T20 competition.

Sanju Samson, the star India player who played for Kochi Blue Tigers last season, is set to miss out on this KCL season due to prior commitments. Samson was not retained by the Blue Tigers and hasn't featured in the auction as well.

Remaining Purse Ahead of KCL 2026 Auction