Nagpur: The second season of the Vidarbha Premier League (VPL) has officially set the stage for an exciting cricketing summer in Nagpur, and the buzz started with a high-voltage auction that felt nothing short of IPL-level intensity.
Held for the first time in auction format, the VPL 2026 player draft saw franchises go all-in with a ₹42 lakh purse, battling aggressively to secure top talent. From big-money signings to surprising steals, the auction delivered drama, strategy, and a clear shift toward young match-winners.
If you're following VPL this season, this is your complete guide to know your team players, including full squads, retained stars, and new signings.
VPL 2026 Auction Highlights
- Total players auctioned: 126
- Categories: A, B & C
- Purse per team: ₹42 lakh
- Duration: 5+ hours of intense bidding
- Auctioneer: Charu Sharma
Top Expensive Players
- Apoorv Wankhede - ₹8.20 lakh (Highest bid)
- Vishesh Tiwari - ₹7.00 lakh
- Nachiket Bhute - ₹6.60 lakh
- Darshan Nalkande - ₹6.20 lakh
- R. Sanjay - ₹6.20 lakh
- Kunal Nagar (19 yrs) - ₹6.00 lakh (Category C surprise)
Star Players Sold for Less
Even experienced names didn't attract huge bids:
- Umesh Yadav - ₹2.50 lakh
- Harsh Dubey - ₹3.20 lakh
- Prafull Hinge - ₹2.50 lakh
Clearly, franchises prioritized form and future potential over reputation.
Auction Twist: Biggest Price Drop
Spinner Asit Singh saw a dramatic fall:
- Sold initially: ₹3.60 lakh
- Re-auction price: ₹1.50 lakh
A rare moment that highlighted how quickly fortunes can change in auctions.
Know Your Team Players - Full VPL 2026 Squads
Bharat Rangers Squad
Retained Players:
Atharva Taide, Danish Malewar, Varun Bist, Shubham Kapse, Manan Agrawal
New Signings:
Nachiket Bhute, Hrishikesh Pawar, Aditya Sarwate, Jagjot Sasan, Varun Palandurkar, Sanjog Bhagwat, Aniket Pandey, Vedant Jaju, Mandar Ghodmare, Kunal Kungwani, Rohit Dattatreya
Strong mix of experienced domestic players and emerging talent.
Orange Tigers Squad
Retained Players:
Yash Rathod, Saurabh Dubey, Akshay Karnewar, Rohit Bikar, Kshitiz Dahiya
New Signings:
Vishesh Tiwari, Dhruv Shorey, Mandar Mahale, Shantanu Chikhale, Akshay Dullarwar, Arjun Ingle, Adhyan Rautan, Hardik Verma, Atharva Podutwar, Shreyash Padole, Akshay Agrawal
One of the most aggressive teams with premium buys.
Nagpur Heroes Squad
Retained Players:
Yash Thakur, Aman Mokhade, Parth Rekhade, Siddhesh Wath, Tejas Soni
New Signings:
Apoorv Wankhede, Umesh Yadav, Rajneesh Gurbani, Ankush Tamhane, Akash Kombe, Tushar Suryavanshi, Eknur Singh Bhamra, Rishabh Borkar, Kartik Rathod, Sandesh Durugwar, Siddhant Mule
Home favorites with the most expensive player of the auction.
Neco Master Blaster Squad
Retained Players:
Jitesh Sharma, Adhyayan Daga, Vedant Dighade, Aryan Meshram, Ananmaya Jaiswal, Sanmesh Deshmukh
New Signings:
Vaibhav Chandekar, Abhishek Gupta, Shantanu Rajput, Deepesh Parwani, Harsh Dubey, Avinash Jadhav, Arya Durgukar, Gaurav Farde, Gaurav Dhoble, Kush Khandelwal
Balanced squad with depth in all departments.
India Warriors Squad
Retained Players:
Akshay Wadkar, Shubham Dubey, Satyam Bhoyar, Sahil Sheikh, Rahul Dongarwar
New Signings:
Darshan Nalkande, Kunal Nagar, Vaibhav Lande, Prafull Hinge, Gurdeep Singh Sodhi, Asit Singh, Shri Chaudhary, Abhishek Agrawal, Alok Wadkar, Sabbamitta Gawai, Ayush Kumar
Focus on young stars, including breakout spinner Kunal Nagar.
Pagariya Strikers Squad
Retained Players:
Yash Kadam, Mohammad Faiz, Lalit Yadav, Aditya Ahuja, Pushpak Gurjar, Suraj Rai
New Signings:
R. Sanjay, R. Samarth, Shivam Deshmukh, Virendra Patel, Kaustubh Salve, Sanskar Chavhate, Dhruv Pise, Lakshya Sangar, Updesh Rajput, Jaswinder Singh Tank
Strong all-round unit with competitive mid-tier buys.
With the VPL 2026 season starting from June 1, fans now have a clear picture of their teams.
Whether you support Nagpur Heroes, Orange Tigers, or India Warriors, now you truly know your team players.
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