North Mumbai Panthers snapped up all-rounder Vaibhav Mali for Rs 9 lakh at Saturday’s auction for Season 4 of the T20 Mumbai League, beating out defending champions Maratha Royals, who had wanted to keep him.
The buy gives North Mumbai a notable addition before the tournament begins on June 1 and runs for a fortnight. Mali’s move was one of the clearer swings of the auction, with the Royals forced to let him go after making retention a priority.
The auction matters because Season 4 is moving into its final build-up with squads taking shape and little time left before the first ball. For the Panthers, the price tag suggests they see Mali as more than a depth piece. For the Royals, losing a player they had hoped to retain is a setback they will have to absorb quickly.
That was not the only miss of the day. Eagle Thane Strikers head coach Dhawal Kulkarni also came away without Shashank Attarde, last year’s purple cap holder, underlining how quickly the auction reshaped plans for more than one team.
With June 1 now close, the auction leaves one simple test for the teams that spent and the ones that missed out: whether the moves made on Saturday hold up once the tournament begins and the pressure starts to build.
