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.
Gold Rate
May 02- 2026 - Time 10.30Hrs
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
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.
