Sanju Samson tops KPL 2025 auction, bought by Kochi Blue Tigers for ₹26.8 lakh
Thiruvananthapuram: Sanju Samson has emerged as the costliest player in the second season of the Kerala Premier League (KPL) after being snapped up by the Kochi Blue Tigers for a record-breaking ₹26.80 lakh.
According to the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA), the KPL 2025 auction concluded on Saturday with an intense bidding war involving Kochi Blue Tigers, Trivandrum Royals, and Thrissur Titans, all vying for the Rajasthan Royals captain. Ultimately, Kochi secured Samson's signature.
Wicketkeeper-batter Vishnu Vinod was signed by Aries Kollam Sailors for ₹12.80 lakh, while all-rounder Jalaj Saxena went to Alleppey Ripples for ₹12.40 lakh. M S Akhil, the Most Valuable Player of the previous season, was acquired by Kollam Sailors for ₹8.40 lakh.
Out of 168 available players, 91 were picked in the auction. Teams from Kollam, Alappuzha, and Kozhikode had retained four players each prior to the auction, while Thiruvananthapuram retained three.
The auction took place in the presence of Kerala’s General Education Minister V Sivankutty. Each team was allowed to spend up to ₹50 lakh. Kochi Blue Tigers exhausted their full budget, while Kollam and Calicut spent ₹49.80 lakh each, Trivandrum Royals ₹49.40 lakh, Alleppey Ripples ₹49.35 lakh, and Thrissur Titans ₹49.65 lakh.
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Assam: 23,000 people affected by urban floods as IMD forecasts more rain
Guwahati (PTI): More than 23,000 people have been affected by urban floods in Assam as rains lashed several parts of the state, while the IMD warned of more showers, official sources said on Friday.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), in its bulletin, said urban floods have been reported from the three districts of Kamrup (Metropolitan), Sribhumi and Cachar.
Four revenue circles and 12 villages have been inundated in these districts, affecting 23,619 people.
The worst-hit has been Cachar district, where 15,617 people have been affected, followed by Sribhumi with 8,002 flood-hit people, according to the bulletin.
There were no reports of deaths or people missing in the urban floods in the last 24 hours, the ASDMA said.
Fifty-three marooned people and three animals were rescued by a State Disaster Relief Force boat in Sribhumi district.
Meanwhile, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Guwahati, has issued an 'orange alert' for the four districts of Sribhumi, Hailakandi, Cachar and Dima Hasao for the next 24 hours.
An 'orange alert' implies 'be prepared to take action' and is sounded when thunderstorm and lightning accompanied with gusty wind reaching wind speed 30 to 40 kmph, with heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places.
'Yellow alert' to be on 'watch/be updated' has been issued for 20 districts -- Dhubri, South Salmara-Mankachar, Goalpara, Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Bajali, Tamulpur, Nalbari, both Kamrup districts, Udalguri, West Karbi Anglong, Sonitpur, Biswanath, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Charaideo, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia.
Some of the districts on 'yellow alert' are likely to continue receiving heavy rainfall along with thunderstorms for the next couple of days, as per the RMC forecast.
