The Kerala Cricket League 2026 squads are locked in. All six franchises finalised their rosters at the Season 3 auction in Thiruvananthapuram on July 11, where 156 players went under the hammer after 17 retentions.
Sibin Gireesh became the costliest buy at Rs 11.80 lakh for Alleppey Ripples, while defending champions Kochi Blue Tigers rebuilt around retained captain Saly Samson. Each franchise worked with a Rs 50 lakh purse to assemble squads of 16 to 20 players.
In this article, we cover every KCL 2026 squad, the auction rules, ownership and key players.
When Does the Kerala Cricket League 2026 Take Place?
The third season of the Kerala Cricket League runs from August 20 to September 5, 2026, with every match at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala Cricket Association confirmed the window at a franchise owners’ meeting in June, and the final is set for September 5.
The player auction took place on July 11, 2026, starting at 10 am in Thiruvananthapuram, and was streamed live on JioHotstar. The match-by-match fixture list has not been released yet, so squad-building is the story of the moment. One big name will be missing: Sanju Samson, bought for a record Rs 26.8 lakh last season, is not featuring in KCL 2026.
Kerala Cricket League 2026 Franchise Ownership
Each KCL franchise is privately owned and carries a title sponsor in its official name, from Aries and Adani to Finesse, giving the league a strong commercial base alongside Federal Bank’s league-wide sponsorship. Publicly documented ownership details are set out below.
| Franchise | Title Partner | Publicly Known Ownership |
|---|---|---|
| Kochi Blue Tigers | Federal Bank (league partner) | Private ownership group, details not widely published |
| Aries Kollam Sailors | Aries Group | Backed by the Aries Group |
| Adani Trivandrum Royals | Adani | Co-owners include filmmaker Priyadarshan and actor Keerthy Suresh |
| Alleppey Ripples | Not publicly detailed | Private consortium |
| Finesse Thrissur Titans | Finesse | Private ownership group |
| Calicut Globstars | Not publicly detailed | Private ownership group |
Squad Structure & Auction Categories
The KCL 2026 auction followed a tight structure. A total of 173 players registered, franchises retained 17 before auction day, and the remaining 156 entered the pool in three categories based on playing experience, each with its own base price, as summarised below.
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total purse per franchise | Rs 50 lakh |
| Squad size | 16 to 20 players |
| Players retained before auction | 17 across six franchises |
| Category A (first-class, List A or IPL experience) | Base price Rs 3 lakh |
| Category B (state Under-19 and Under-23 players) | Base price Rs 1.5 lakh |
| Category C (district and zonal-level players) | Base price Rs 75,000 |
The Six-Franchise Identity Checklist
The same six franchises contest every KCL season, each tied to a Kerala city and each with a distinct identity. Kollam and Kochi own the two titles so far, while Calicut and Thrissur have both reached knockout cricket and are pushing hard to convert.
Only Kochi Blue Tigers have a confirmed captain at this stage, with Saly Samson retained in the role that brought the Season 2 title. The table below sets out each team’s short code, captaincy status and defining storyline for 2026.
| Team | Short Code | Captain | Key Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kochi Blue Tigers | KBT | Saly Samson | Defending champions, won the Season 2 final by 75 runs |
| Aries Kollam Sailors | AKS | Not announced | Season 1 champions and Season 2 runners-up |
| Calicut Globstars | CG | Not announced | Season 1 runners-up, retained their star trio |
| Adani Trivandrum Royals | ATR | Not announced | Retained Krishna Prasad, Season 2’s leading run-scorer |
| Finesse Thrissur Titans | FTT | Not announced | Retained Ahammed Imran, Season 2’s second-highest run-getter |
| Alleppey Ripples | ALR | Not announced | Made Sibin Gireesh the costliest buy of the 2026 auction |
1. Kochi Blue Tigers (KBT)
The champions kept their leadership intact and then spent big on bowling firepower, with a 20-man squad that blends the Season 2 core with fresh auction blood, as the full list below shows.
| Player | Price | How Acquired |
|---|---|---|
| Saly Samson | Rs 7.50 lakh | Retained |
| Muhammed Ashik | Rs 1.50 lakh | Retained |
| Basil Thampi | Rs 5.40 lakh | Auction |
| Asif KM | Rs 4.80 lakh | Auction |
| Eden Apple Tom | Rs 3.40 lakh | Auction |
| Vinoop Manoharan | Rs 3.20 lakh | Auction |
| Vipul Shakti | Rs 3.00 lakh | Auction |
| Karthik B Nair | Rs 2.70 lakh | Auction |
| Manu Krishnan | Rs 2.60 lakh | Auction |
| Jerin PS | Rs 2.30 lakh | Auction |
| Sachin Suresh | Rs 1.90 lakh | Auction |
| Akshay Chandran | Rs 1.50 lakh | Auction |
| Midhun PK | Rs 1.50 lakh | Auction |
| Pavan Sreedhar | Rs 1.50 lakh | Auction |
| Alfi Francis John | Rs 1.50 lakh | Auction |
| Muhammed Shanu | Rs 1.45 lakh | Auction |
| Adhi Abhilash | Rs 1.35 lakh | Auction |
| Jobin Joby | Rs 1.15 lakh | Auction |
| Anandhu Sunil | Rs 1.00 lakh | Auction |
| Anish Rajan | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
Kochi’s auction strategy was clear: buy back the men who won them the title. Vinoop Manoharan, who blasted 70 off 30 balls in the Season 2 final, and Jerin PS, who took 3/21 in that game, both return alongside pace spearhead Basil Thampi.
The one gap is obvious. Sanju Samson, the league’s record signing at Rs 26.8 lakh, is unavailable this season, so the batting responsibility shifts to his elder brother Saly and the retained core that won eight of ten league games last year.
2. Aries Kollam Sailors (AKS)
The Season 1 champions retained four players, the joint most of any franchise, and then invested heavily in experienced campaigners at the auction, building the 19-man squad listed below.
| Player | Price | How Acquired |
|---|---|---|
| Sharafuddeen NM | Rs 7.50 lakh | Retained |
| Abhishek J Nair | Rs 5.00 lakh | Retained |
| Vijay Viswanath | Rs 1.50 lakh | Retained |
| Pavan Raj | Rs 1.50 lakh | Retained |
| Ajnas M | Rs 7.00 lakh | Auction |
| Nidheesh MD | Rs 6.60 lakh | Auction |
| Anand Krishnan | Rs 5.20 lakh | Auction |
| Amal A G | Rs 3.80 lakh | Auction |
| Vathsal Govind | Rs 1.50 lakh | Auction |
| Midhun S | Rs 1.50 lakh | Auction |
| Arjun Venugopal | Rs 1.50 lakh | Auction |
| Mohammed Ishaque | Rs 1.50 lakh | Auction |
| Monu Krishna | Rs 1.05 lakh | Auction |
| Sachin PS | Rs 0.85 lakh | Auction |
| Akhil KG | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
| Amal Ramesh | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
| Preethish Pavan | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
| Ashik Muhammed | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
| Arun Paulose | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
Kollam have reached the final in both KCL seasons, winning in 2024 and falling to Kochi in 2025. Category A retentions Sharafuddeen NM and Abhishek J Nair anchor the squad, while Rs 7 lakh buy Ajnas M was among the auction’s biggest deals.
The Rs 6.60 lakh spent on seamer MD Nidheesh, a Category A player with senior Kerala experience, signals a bowling-first rebuild after their batting collapsed for 106 in last season’s final.
3. Calicut Globstars (CG)
Calicut protected their three biggest names before the auction, then made Krishna Devan the second-costliest player of the day, assembling the 16-man group set out below.
| Player | Price | How Acquired |
|---|---|---|
| Salman Nizar | Rs 7.50 lakh | Retained |
| Rohan Kunnummal | Rs 5.00 lakh | Retained |
| Akhil Scaria | Rs 3.75 lakh | Retained |
| Krishna Devan | Rs 11.20 lakh | Auction |
| Abdul Bazith | Rs 8.00 lakh | Auction |
| Harikrishnan MU | Rs 3.00 lakh | Auction |
| Vignesh Puthur | Rs 1.50 lakh | Auction |
| Varun Nayanar | Rs 1.50 lakh | Auction |
| Akhin Sathar | Rs 1.50 lakh | Auction |
| Aswin Anand | Rs 1.50 lakh | Auction |
| Mohammed Kaif | Rs 1.50 lakh | Auction |
| Aravind KS | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
| Afrad N | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
| Ibnul Afthab | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
| Rahaan Raheem | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
| Athif Bin Ashraf | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
Runners-up in the inaugural season and semi-finalists in Season 2, Calicut have the most settled top order in the league. Salman Nizar and Rohan Kunnummal, both established Kerala senior-team batters, were retained at Rs 7.5 lakh and Rs 5 lakh respectively.
The eye-catcher is Vignesh Puthur at just Rs 1.50 lakh. The left-arm wrist-spinner who made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians in 2025 could prove the bargain of the entire auction.
4. Adani Trivandrum Royals (ATR)
The home-city franchise retained Season 2’s leading run-scorer and then paid the auction’s fourth-highest price for wicketkeeper-batter Vishnu Vinod, completing the 16-man squad below.
| Player | Price | How Acquired |
|---|---|---|
| Krishna Prasad | Rs 7.50 lakh | Retained |
| Govind Dev Pai | Rs 1.50 lakh | Retained |
| Ajith V | Rs 1.50 lakh | Retained |
| Vishnu Vinod | Rs 7.80 lakh | Auction |
| Nikhil M | Rs 6.20 lakh | Auction |
| Akshay Manohar | Rs 4.80 lakh | Auction |
| Sijomon Joseph | Rs 4.40 lakh | Auction |
| Vinod Kumar CV | Rs 4.00 lakh | Auction |
| Abhishek P Nair | Rs 3.00 lakh | Auction |
| Basil NP | Rs 2.30 lakh | Auction |
| Rahul Chandran | Rs 1.80 lakh | Auction |
| Sudheesh Mohan | Rs 1.15 lakh | Auction |
| Sreehari Nair | Rs 1.15 lakh | Auction |
| Ajeesh K | Rs 1.10 lakh | Auction |
| Ujwal Krishna | Rs 1.05 lakh | Auction |
| Bharath Soorya | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
Trivandrum’s recruitment centred on proven run-makers. Krishna Prasad topped the Season 2 charts and was retained at Rs 7.5 lakh, while Vishnu Vinod, a Category A player with IPL experience, arrived for Rs 7.80 lakh as the Royals’ marquee auction buy.
With co-owners including filmmaker Priyadarshan and actor Keerthy Suresh, the Royals carry serious star power off the field. On it, spin-bowling all-rounder Sijomon Joseph at Rs 4.40 lakh adds balance to a batting-heavy roster.
5. Finesse Thrissur Titans (FTT)
Thrissur matched Kollam with four retentions, headlined by the league’s second-highest Season 2 run-getter, and then spread their purse across a league-high 20-man squad, listed in full below.
| Player | Price | How Acquired |
|---|---|---|
| Ahammed Imran | Rs 7.50 lakh | Retained |
| Shoun Roger | Rs 5.00 lakh | Retained |
| Adithya Vinod | Rs 1.50 lakh | Retained |
| Arjun A K | Rs 1.50 lakh | Retained |
| Biju Narayanan | Rs 4.80 lakh | Auction |
| MS Akhil | Rs 3.80 lakh | Auction |
| Nikhil Thottath | Rs 3.60 lakh | Auction |
| Mohamed Enaan | Rs 3.00 lakh | Auction |
| Manav Krishna | Rs 2.90 lakh | Auction |
| Rohit KR | Rs 2.60 lakh | Auction |
| Asif Salam | Rs 2.10 lakh | Auction |
| Abdul Ramees P | Rs 1.90 lakh | Auction |
| Amay Manoj | Rs 1.50 lakh | Auction |
| Sharon SS | Rs 1.50 lakh | Auction |
| Sanjeev Satheeshan | Rs 1.50 lakh | Auction |
| Muhammed Irshad | Rs 1.10 lakh | Auction |
| Anand Joseph | Rs 1.05 lakh | Auction |
| Nazal P | Rs 1.00 lakh | Auction |
| Prasoon Prasad | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
| Sarath Chandra P | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
Thrissur reached the Season 2 semi-finals before Kollam bundled them out for 86, and their response was volume: no franchise signed more players at the auction. Ahammed Imran, retained at Rs 7.5 lakh, remains the batting cornerstone.
The depth-first approach gives the Titans cover in every phase, and a 20-man roster means genuine internal competition for places once the fixtures begin on August 20.
6. Alleppey Ripples (ALR)
Alleppey retained just one player, then swung hardest of anyone at the auction, landing its two most expensive buys in Sibin Gireesh and Sachin Baby to complete the 16-man squad below.
| Player | Price | How Acquired |
|---|---|---|
| Mohammed Azharuddeen | Rs 7.50 lakh | Retained |
| Sibin Gireesh | Rs 11.80 lakh | Auction |
| Sachin Baby | Rs 10.00 lakh | Auction |
| Abhijith Praveen | Rs 6.00 lakh | Auction |
| Jalaj Saxena | Rs 5.00 lakh | Auction |
| Akshay TK | Rs 1.50 lakh | Auction |
| Ajayaghosh NS | Rs 1.10 lakh | Auction |
| Vinil TS | Rs 0.95 lakh | Auction |
| Ajnas K | Rs 0.85 lakh | Auction |
| Sreeroop MP | Rs 0.80 lakh | Auction |
| Akash Pillai | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
| Arun K A | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
| Akhil Dev | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
| Ashiq Ali | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
| Amal Raj R | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
| Ajith Raj | Rs 0.75 lakh | Auction |
No team reshaped itself more aggressively. Sibin Gireesh’s Rs 11.80 lakh price made him the costliest player of KCL 2026, and veteran left-hander Sachin Baby, a Category A player with long Kerala and IPL experience, followed at Rs 10 lakh.
Add wicketkeeper-batter Mohammed Azharuddeen and seasoned all-rounder Jalaj Saxena, and the Ripples suddenly look like genuine title contenders after missing the Season 2 playoffs.
Tournament Format & Playoff Architecture
KCL 2026 is expected to follow the structure used in Season 2:
- Six teams play a double round-robin league stage of 30 matches
- The top four sides on the points table advance to the playoffs
- Semi-final 1: 1st place vs 4th place
- Semi-final 2: 2nd place vs 3rd place
- The final takes place on September 5, 2026 at Greenfield International Stadium
Rising Stars to Watch
The KCL has already proven its worth as a launchpad. Season 2 turned local names into statewide stars, and the KCA leadership has openly framed the league as a bridge to the IPL and beyond for Kerala’s young cricketers.
Vignesh Puthur is the headline act this year, back in Kerala colours for Calicut after his Mumbai Indians debut, while Alleppey’s record buy Sibin Gireesh carries the pressure of an Rs 11.80 lakh price tag into his biggest season yet.
Conclusion: Alleppey’s Spending Spree Meets Kochi’s Champion Core
The KCL 2026 auction has redrawn the competitive map. Kochi Blue Tigers kept the spine of their title-winning side, but Alleppey Ripples’ aggressive rebuild around Sibin Gireesh, Sachin Baby and Jalaj Saxena makes them the season’s wildcard.
Kollam and Thrissur bet on retention depth, Calicut secured their trio plus a bargain IPL spinner, and Trivandrum stacked run-makers behind Krishna Prasad.
With squads settled and only the fixture list awaited, all six franchises now turn to August 20, when the title race begins at Greenfield.