Abishek Porel was bought by Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers for Rs 10.40 lakh as the Bengal T20 League completed its biggest-ever player auction ahead of the 2026 season. Franchises spent more than Rs 4.5 crore across the men's and women's auctions.
The auction produced more than 250 contracts from a pool of over 1000 cricketers, with 136 player signings in the men's auction and 128 in the women's. Every men's franchise assembled a 17-player squad with at least two U19 players, while every women's team completed a 16-player squad with at least two U15 players.
Shahbaz Ahmed became the most expensive player in the men's auction at Rs 12.20 lakh after being retained by Shrachi Tribes Rarh Tigers through RTM, while Mukesh Kumar stayed with Sobisco Smashers Malda for Rs 9.60 lakh through RTM. Ravi Kumar emerged as the highest-paid U19 player at Rs 7.80 lakh, and Rohit was the top U16 signing at Rs 5.20 lakh.
The women's auction also drew strong spending, with franchises collectively putting down nearly Rs 88 lakh. Mita Paul became the highest-valued player at Rs 3 lakh after Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers retained her through RTM, giving the franchise one of the day’s biggest wins in both auctions.
The scale of the bidding showed how the league is pushing deeper into Bengal’s talent base ahead of next season, with young players taking a larger place in squad building than before. For Abishek Porel, the price tag was part of a market that rewarded proven names and still left room for the next wave of U19 and U15 cricketers.
