KL Rahul unsold at Maharaja Trophy auction

Indian cricketer KL Rahul went unsold during the player auction for the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 tournament on Friday, June 5. The wicketkeeper-batter, who had set a base price of 2 lakh Indian rupees, was the most prominent player to not attract a bid from any of the six competing franchises. The auction was held in Bengaluru to assemble squads for the tournament's fifth season, which begins on June 20.

The primary reason for teams' lack of interest was Rahul's uncertain availability due to his international commitments. He is currently part of the Indian Test squad for a one-off match against Afghanistan beginning June 6 and will also feature in a three-match One Day International series against the same opponent starting June 13. The Maharaja Trophy schedule directly overlaps with India's upcoming T20 International series in Ireland and England, running from late June through mid-July. As India's designated wicketkeeper in the ODI format, Rahul's participation in the domestic tournament was seen as unlikely.

Despite his absence from India's T20I setup since late 2022, Rahul has maintained strong form in the shortest format. In the recently concluded Indian Premier League...