Mumbai, April 15: The IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 auction saw intense bidding battles, high-profile retentions, and exciting debuts as eight franchises assembled their squads for the upcoming season, scheduled from May 29 to June 15 at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad.
Leading the headlines was Chinese star Fan Siqi, who became the most expensive player in UTT auction history, with Chennai Lions securing her services for 19.7 Lakh tokens. Adriana Diaz of Puerto Rico followed closely, picked up by debutants Kolkata ThunderBlades for 19.3 Lakh tokens.

India's top-ranked women's player Diya Chitale emerged as the most expensive Indian player, retained by Dabang Delhi TTC via the Right to Match (RTM) card for 14.1 Lakh tokens. Among the men, Goa Challengers re-signed their two-time title-winning captain Harmeet Desai for 14 Lakh tokens, also via RTM.
| Rank | Player | Price (Lakh Tokens) | Team | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fan Siqi | 19.7 | Chennai Lions | China |
| 2 | Adriana Diaz | 19.3 | Kolkata ThunderBlades | Puerto Rico |
| 3 | Alvaro Robles | 18.1 | PBG Pune Jaguars | Spain |
| 4 | Zeng Jian | 17.2 | Goa Challengers TTC | Singapore |
| 5 | Bernadette Szocs | 15.3 | U Mumba TT | Romania |
| 6 | Diya Chitale | 14.1 | Dabang Delhi TTC | India |
| 7 | Harmeet Desai | 14 | Goa Challengers TTC | India |
Ahmedabad SG Pipers
Chennai Lions
Dabang Delhi TTC
Goa Challengers TTC
Jaipur Patriots
Kolkata ThunderBlades
U Mumba TT
PBG Pune Jaguars
With the auction format introduced for the first time in UTT history, franchises approached squad-building with a mix of strategy, retention, and bold bids for international stars. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran's return to Dabang Delhi TTC marked a record sixth season with the same franchise, while fresh faces like Ankur Bhattacharjee, Jennifer Varghese, and PB Abhinandh highlighted the league's commitment to nurturing young Indian talent.
UTT co-promoter Vita Dani summed it up best: "The auction brought an exciting dynamic to the league. It was heartening to see equal focus on seasoned internationals and emerging Indian players. Season 6 is going to be a blockbuster."