Maharani Trophy women's auction: Prathyusha Challuru tops bids at ₹4.5 lakh
Synopsis
India all-rounder Prathyusha Challuru became the priciest pick in the women's Maharani Trophy auction at ₹4.5 lakh, with multiple U-19 World Cup winners and senior internationals driving intense bidding across all four franchises — a signal of how seriously Karnataka's franchise cricket is now investing in women's talent.
Key Takeaways
Prathyusha Challuru fetched the highest bid of ₹4.5 lakh , secured by Kalyani Bengaluru Blasters on 9 July .
Shubha Satheesh (Mysuru Warriors) and Vrinda Dinesh (Hubli Tigers) were each acquired for ₹4.2 lakh .
U-19 World Cup -winning captain Niki Prasad went to Hubli Tigers for ₹4.1 lakh .
Veteran spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad joined Gulbarga Mystics for ₹3.3 lakh .
Each franchise had a maximum auction purse of ₹20 lakh , with players split across four pools .
The tournament runs from 22 July to 2 August at M.
Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru .
India all-rounder Prathyusha Challuru became the costliest pick in the women's section of the Maharani Trophy auction on Thursday, 9 July, with Kalyani Bengaluru Blasters securing her services for a top bid of ₹4.5 lakh. The auction saw all four franchises dig deep into their ₹20 lakh purses to assemble competitive squads ahead of the tournament.
Tournament at a Glance
The Maharani Trophy is scheduled to be played at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru from 22 July to 2 August. Four franchises — Mysuru Warriors, Gulbarga Mystics, Kalyani Bengaluru Blasters, and Hubli Tigers — will contest the women's edition of the marquee Karnataka Premier League-style event.
Top Picks and Bidding War
Kalyani Bengaluru Blasters led the spending, landing Prathyusha at ₹4.5 lakh before adding Chandasi K (₹2 lakh), U-19 World Cup-winning all-rounder Mithila Vinod (₹1.9 lakh), Namita D'Souza (₹1.9 lakh), and Ananya Hegde (₹1.1 lakh) to round out their roster.
Mysuru Warriors were not far behind, shelling out ₹4.2 lakh for India Test batter Shubha Satheesh and a further ₹4.1 lakh for Shishira A Gowda. All-rounder Sahana S Pawar (₹2.8 lakh), Pooja Kumari (₹1.1 lakh), and Pushpa Kiresur (₹1 lakh) also joined their ranks.
Hubli Tigers built around Karnataka prospect and India A batter Vrinda Dinesh, acquired for ₹4.2 lakh. The franchise also secured U-19 World Cup-winning captain Niki Prasad for ₹4.1 lakh, alongside wicketkeeper-batter Prathyoosha K (₹2.3 lakh), experienced batter Divya Gnanananda (₹1.9 lakh), and left-arm seam all-rounder Monica C Patel (₹1.5 lakh).
Gulbarga Mystics leaned on experience, snapping up veteran Indian left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad for ₹3.3 lakh and wicketkeeper-batter Shreya Chavan for ₹3.2 lakh. They reinforced their squad with Prerana GR (₹2.6 lakh), Soumya Verma (₹2.4 lakh), Roshini Kiran (₹1 lakh), and Aditi R (₹90,000).
Auction Structure
Players were divided into four pools: Pool A (capped WPL and international players, base price ₹1 lakh), Pool B (state seniors, ₹75,000), Pool C (juniors, ₹50,000), and Pool D (local league performers, ₹30,000). Each franchise operated with a maximum purse of ₹20 lakh.
Full Squads
Mysuru Warriors: Shubha Satheesh (₹4.20 lakh), Shishira A Gowda (₹4.10 lakh), Sahana S Pawar (₹2.80 lakh), Pooja Kumari (₹1.10 lakh), Pushpa Kiresur (₹1.00 lakh), Yashika K Gowda (₹0.90 lakh), Ahlam Fareeha Syed (₹0.90 lakh), Deeksha J (₹0.90 lakh), Vandita K Rao (₹0.90 lakh), Sheetal Santosh (₹0.55 lakh), Tanushree M (₹0.55 lakh), Stuthi M (₹0.50 lakh), Shreya Ajay Mishra (₹0.35 lakh), Kusuma Gowda N (₹0.30 lakh), Prathiksha C (₹0.30 lakh), Advika D Gowda (₹0.30 lakh), Vaishnavi BH (₹0.30 lakh).
Gulbarga Mystics: Rajeshwari Gayakwad (₹3.30 lakh), Shreya Chavan (₹3.20 lakh), Prerana GR (₹2.60 lakh), Soumya Verma (₹2.40 lakh), Krishika Reddy (₹2.10 lakh), Roshini Kiran (₹1.00 lakh), Aditi R (₹0.90 lakh), Nynisha Patil (₹0.85 lakh), Harshitha K (₹0.85 lakh), Trisha D A (₹0.60 lakh), Veda Varshini V (₹0.50 lakh), Poojitha G (₹0.50 lakh), S Sreeka Chathura (₹0.30 lakh), Karishma Gowda U J (₹0.30 lakh), Aadya S Mane (₹0.30 lakh), Kinjal B Patel (₹0.30 lakh).
Hubli Tigers: Vrinda Dinesh (₹4.20 lakh), Niki Prasad (₹4.10 lakh), Prathyoosha K (₹2.30 lakh), Divya Gnanananda (₹1.90 lakh), Monica C Patel (₹1.50 lakh), Deeksha CD (₹0.95 lakh), Priya Chavan (₹0.80 lakh), Rameshwari Gayakwad (₹0.70 lakh), Saina Kapoor (₹0.60 lakh), Aditi Bakka (₹0.50 lakh), Silkin Jeetubhai Patel (₹0.50 lakh), Nesara Saptagirish (₹0.50 lakh), Harshitha R (₹0.30 lakh), T Nireeksha (₹0.30 lakh), Aarushi Anand Sutar (₹0.30 lakh), Shreya B Pote (₹0.30 lakh).
Kalyani Bengaluru Blasters: Prathyusha Challuru (₹4.50 lakh), Chandasi K (₹2.00 lakh), Inchara C U (₹2.00 lakh), Mithila Vinod (₹1.90 lakh), Namita D'Souza (₹1.90 lakh), Rachitha Hatwar (₹1.90 lakh), Ananya Hegde (₹1.10 lakh), Karnika Karthick (₹1.10 lakh), Lavanya Chalana (₹0.90 lakh), Nandani Chauhan (₹0.50 lakh), Reethu R Gowda (₹0.50 lakh), Srinithi P Rai (₹0.50 lakh), Sakshi Doijode (₹0.30 lakh), Andrea Michelle Lobo (₹0.30 lakh), Aqfin Ruhi K (₹0.30 lakh), Pranathi KS (₹0.30 lakh).
With squads finalised, all eyes now turn to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium when the women's Maharani Trophy gets underway on 22 July.
Point of View
And a competitive four-team format at Chinnaswamy is a meaningful proving ground — but sustained investment, not one auction cycle, will determine whether this becomes a model for other state associations.
NationPress
9 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the most expensive player in the women's Maharani Trophy auction?
India all-rounder Prathyusha Challuru was the costliest pick, fetching a top bid of ₹4.5 lakh from Kalyani Bengaluru Blasters in the auction held on 9 July.
When and where is the women's Maharani Trophy 2025 being played?
The tournament is scheduled from 22 July to 2 August at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, contested between four franchises — Mysuru Warriors, Gulbarga Mystics, Kalyani Bengaluru Blasters, and Hubli Tigers.
What was the auction purse for each franchise?
Each of the four franchises had a maximum auction purse of ₹20 lakh. Players were divided into four pools based on experience, with base prices ranging from ₹30,000 (Pool D) to ₹1 lakh (Pool A).
Which notable India players featured in the Maharani Trophy auction?
Several senior and emerging India players were auctioned, including Prathyusha Challuru, Shubha Satheesh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Vrinda Dinesh, and U-19 World Cup-winning captain Niki Prasad, among others.
How did Hubli Tigers build their squad?
Hubli Tigers centred their squad around Karnataka prospect Vrinda Dinesh (₹4.2 lakh) and U-19 World Cup-winning captain Niki Prasad (₹4.1 lakh), adding wicketkeeper-batter Prathyoosha K, Divya Gnanananda, and Monica C Patel to form a balanced unit.
