India's new T20I vice-captain gets roped in for more than twice as Mohammed Siraj at TG20 mega auction

India’s new T20I vice-captain Tilak Varma’s stocks are on the rise as he became the most expensive buy at the Telangana T20 inaugural auction on June 7. Varma was roped in for Rs 33 lakh by Medak Falcons. Mohammed Siraj also turned out to be a high profile signing at the auction. Siraj’s services were acquired for Rs 14 lakh by Warangal Warriors.

Varma and Siraj were icon players at the auction. Apart from them, CV Milind and Anvita Khammam were roped in for Rs 17 lakh each. Other notable names are Aman Rao Perala, and Under-19 World Cup 2026-winning player Aaron George are in A+ category.

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As many as 160 players were bought during the auction by the eight franchises. Apart from Varma and Siraj, there were seven other icon players. The rest were divided into A+, A, B, C and C2 categories. A total of Rs 4.74 crore was spent at the auction.

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The inaugural edition of the tournament is scheduled to begin on June 21. All 32 matches will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.

“Today is not just about franchises building squads; it is about creating pathways for Telangana’s cricketers to dream bigger. The response to TG20 has been phenomenal, and the auction reflects the depth of talent that exists across the state,” said TG20 Governing Council’s chairman, V. Agam Rao.

Varma emerges as a leader

Varma was recently named new T20I captain Shreyas Iyer’s deputy for the T20I series against Ireland and England as the selectors moved on from T20 World Cup 2026-winning skipper Suryakumar Yadav. Varma is currently in Sri Lanka, leading India A in the tri-nation series involving Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A. The tri-series begins on June 9 against hosts Sri Lanka A in Dambulla.

Earlier, reports suggested that Varma has been backed by Rohit Sharma as the new captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise as well.

The 23-year-old was not at his best in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. From 14 innings, he scored 359 runs, averaging almost 30. He scored a century and two fifties in the season. His strike rate was 145.93.