Tamil Nadu has the TNPL. Karnataka has the KPL. Maharashtra has its Mumbai T20 League.
Telangana, a state that gave Indian cricket Mohammed Siraj, Tilak Varma, Ambati Rayudu, and Shikhar Dhawan, has been watching from the sidelines for years.
That changes in 2026.
The inaugural Sreenidhi University TG20 League is Telangana’s first-ever franchise-based T20 cricket tournament, and it arrives not with a whisper but with a ₹46-crore franchise auction, two India internationals in the player pool, and every match at one of the country’s best international stadiums.
This is the complete guide to all 8 Telangana T20 League 2026 teams, who owns them, who plays for them, and who you should be watching.
All 8 Telangana T20 League 2026 Teams at a Glance
Thirteen companies competed for eight franchise slots. Here is who made it through and what they paid.
| Team | City | Franchise Owner | Bid Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyderabad e-Champions | Hyderabad | Ushodaya Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. (Ramoji Group) | ₹7,50,01,000 |
| Ranga Reddy Risers (RRR) | Ranga Reddy | Boorugu Infra / Pranava | ₹7,20,00,000 |
| Warangal Warriors | Warangal | Bain Global Resources Pvt. Ltd. | ₹6,55,00,000 |
| Medak Falcons | Medak | Bhrunda Infra Pvt. Ltd. | ₹6,33,33,369 |
| Nalgonda Knights | Nalgonda | Kishore Infrastructures Pvt. Ltd. | ₹5,06,00,000 |
| Karimnagar Diamonds | Karimnagar | EIPL Group & Tibarumal | ₹4,57,00,000 |
| Palamuru Strikers | Mahbubnagar | Veerabhadra Steels | ₹4,50,00,000 |
| Anvita Khammam Aces | Khammam | Anvita Group | ₹4,44,44,444 |
The highest bid — ₹7.50 crore, came from Ushodaya Enterprises, the media arm of the Ramoji Group, which notably holds the Guinness Record for launching the world’s largest cricket tournament (the Eenadu Champion Cup Cricket) back in 2006. The most creatively priced bid of the lot? Anvita Group’s ₹4,44,44,444 for Khammam.
What Is the Telangana T20 League (TG20)?
The TG20 League is a BCCI-sanctioned, franchise-based T20 cricket tournament organised by the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA). BCCI approval was confirmed on May 6, 2026.
Key tournament details at a glance:
- Full name: Sreenidhi University TG20 League 2026
- Organiser: Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA)
- Season: Inaugural edition
- Start date: June 21, 2026
- Final: July 11, 2026
- Total matches: 32 (league stage + playoffs)
- Duration: 21 days
- Venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad
- TV broadcast: Star Sports Telugu
- Live streaming: JioHotstar
- Teams: 8 franchises
- Players per team: 20
- Salary cap: ₹60 lakh per franchise
- Total franchise value: ₹46+ crore
The man running the show operationally is Prasanna Kannan, former CEO of the Tamil Nadu Premier League — one of India’s most professionally run state leagues. That hire alone signals how seriously HCA means business.
The Context: Why Telangana Needed This League
Telangana has been producing top-tier cricket talent for decades. Yet until 2026, local players had no structured franchise cricket ecosystem to develop within after district-level cricket. The gap between HCA-registered club cricket and the IPL/Duleep Trophy stage was vast — and largely unfilled.
The TG20 was designed specifically to close that gap. In a smart structural move, every franchise in the league is mandated to include at least four district cricketers in their squad, with a minimum of two district players required in the Playing XI during matches. This ensures the league remains rooted in local development, not just a showcase for established names.
Over 1,300 HCA-registered cricketers entered the player auction pool. Only 160 got signed. That level of competition, built into the league’s DNA from day one, is how you build a pipeline.
TG20 Player Auction: The Headlines
The TG20 Player Auction was held on June 7, 2026, at the Princess Convention Centre, Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad, conducted by renowned auctioneer Charu Sharma. Over 300 attendees, franchise owners, former cricketers, HCA officials, and cricketing stakeholders from across the state, were present.
From a pool of 1,300+ players, 160 were bought. Players were divided into six categories: Icon, A+, A, B, C1, and C2, with base prices ranging from ₹5 lakh (Icon) down to ₹75,000 (C2).
Biggest Buys of the TG20 Auction
| Player | Franchise | Price | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tilak Varma | Medak Falcons | ₹33 lakh | Icon |
| CV Milind | Anvita Khammam Aces | ₹17 lakh | A+ (Uncapped) |
| Mohammed Siraj | Warangal Warriors | ₹14 lakh | Icon |
| Ravikiran Majeti | Palamuru Strikers | ₹13 lakh | A+ |
| Aman Rao Perala | Warangal Warriors | ₹12 lakh | A+ |
| T. Ravi Teja | Medak Falcons | ₹12 lakh | A+ |
| Tanay Thyagarajan | Ranga Reddy Risers | ₹11 lakh | A |
| Abhirath Reddy | Hyderabad e-Champions | ₹11 lakh | A |
| Ajay Dev Goud | Hyderabad e-Champions | ₹11 lakh | A |
| Pragnya Reddy | Palamuru Strikers | ₹11 lakh | A |
| Tanmay Agarwal | Karimnagar Diamonds | ₹8 lakh | Icon |
| Rahul Buddhi | Nalgonda Knights | ₹8 lakh | Icon |
Tilak Varma’s ₹33-lakh price tag consumed more than half of Medak Falcons’ entire ₹60-lakh salary cap in a single bid. That is how much franchises wanted him.
Team-by-Team Breakdown: TG20 2026
1. Hyderabad e-Champions
Owner: Ushodaya Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. (Ramoji Group) Franchise bid: ₹7,50,01,000 — highest in the league
The Ramoji Group’s entry gives Hyderabad e-Champions instant credibility and deep organisational roots. Their squad is built around two players who cost equal money but offer different skills.
Abhirath Reddy Mandadi is a consistent top-order batter with 435 runs from 12 T20 matches at an average of 36.25. Ajay Dev Goud, who has represented the India Under-19 squad, brings genuine bowling threat — 24 wickets in 14 T20 matches at an economy of 7.72. At ₹11 lakh each, both are the cornerstones of this side.
Pranav Varma (₹8.5L) adds List A experience to the mix.
Full squad: Abhirath Reddy (₹11L), Ajaydev Goud (₹11L), Pranav (₹8.5L), Sai Vikas Reddy (₹4.25L), Anvit Reddy (₹3.5L), Yashveer Goud (₹3L), Ganesh Gadugu (₹2.5L), Sriniketh (₹2.3L), Akhil Rathod (₹1.6L), Tarun (₹1.6L), Shanmukha (₹1.5L), Aravind (₹1L), Abhinav (₹1L), Hishanth, Dev, Jaswanth, Pratyush, Vaishnav, Charan, Nitin
Players to watch: Abhirath Reddy, Ajay Dev Goud
2. Ranga Reddy Risers (RRR)
Owner: Boorugu Infra / Pranava Franchise bid: ₹7,20,00,000 — second highest
Ranga Reddy Risers came in with the second-highest bid and backed it up with purposeful squad building. Their marquee signing is Tanay Thyagarajan at ₹11 lakh, supported by Sai Yadav (₹9L) and George Varghese (₹7.5L).
With Avanish (₹7L) providing further firepower in the top order, RRR have one of the more balanced-looking squads in the competition.
Full squad: Tanay Thyagarajan (₹11L), Sai Yadav (₹9L), George Varghese (₹7.5L), Avanish (₹7L), Binjrajka (₹4L), Prakash (₹4L), Punnaiah (₹3L), Hitesh Yadav (₹2.3L), Alankrit (₹1.9L), Aditya (₹1.6L), Srinath (₹1L), Arun (₹1L), Aryan (₹1L), Navnath, Santosh, Aditya Malhotra, Tanay Jaddu, Pranav Adityam, Venkat Karthik, Barkat
Player to watch: Tanay Thyagarajan
3. Warangal Warriors
Owner: Bain Global Resources Pvt. Ltd. Franchise bid: ₹6,55,00,000
Warangal Warriors made the most high-profile signing in the entire auction: Mohammed Siraj for ₹14 lakh. The India pacer, born and raised in Hyderabad, brings international experience and a genuine wicket-taking threat that no other team in the competition can match.
To complement Siraj, they signed Aman Rao Perala for ₹12 lakh — one of the more complete domestic cricketers in the Hyderabad circuit — and added Bhavesh Seth (₹5L) and Rishiketh (₹4.75L) for batting depth.
The fixture to circle on your calendar: Warangal Warriors vs Medak Falcons on June 22 — Siraj bowling to Tilak Varma. In a domestic T20 league. Enough said.
Full squad: Mohammed Siraj (₹14L), Aman Rao Perala (₹12L), Bhavesh Seth (₹5L), Rishiketh (₹4.75L), Harshit (₹3L), Mohammed Abdul (₹3L), Mudassar (₹3L), Abhishek (₹2.6L), Anirudh (₹2L), Shaunak (₹1.6L), Vaishnav (₹1L), Manikiran, Angoth, Sai Dhanush, Mansuri, Kranthi, Sivaramakrishna, Salman, Ritwik Goud, Rishit Rao
Players to watch: Mohammed Siraj, Aman Rao Perala
4. Medak Falcons
Owner: Bhrunda Infra Pvt. Ltd. Franchise bid: ₹6,33,33,369
Talk about going all-in. Medak Falcons signed Tilak Varma, India’s T20 vice-captain, for ₹33 lakh, the single most expensive purchase in the entire TG20 auction. That one bid used up more than half of their total ₹60-lakh cap.
It sparked fierce bidding from multiple franchises. Medak held firm and walked away with arguably the biggest name in Telangana cricket.
To support their marquee man, they picked T. Ravi Teja in the Icon category (₹12L), then filled the rest of the squad with lower-bracket picks who now have the privilege of playing alongside an international T20 vice-captain.
Full squad: Tilak Varma (₹33L), T. Ravi Teja (₹12L), Vikram Nayak (₹1.1L), Shashanth (₹1L), Suryateja, Bunny, Madhukar, Noman, Jaidev, Hari Om, Ranganath, Ahvinan, Nayani Anish, Rahul, Naman, Purnanand, Syed, Ishaan, Sai Varun, Shrujit
Player to watch: Tilak Varma
5. Nalgonda Knights
Owner: Kishore Infrastructures Pvt. Ltd. Franchise bid: ₹5,06,00,000
Nalgonda Knights went into the auction without the biggest budget but came out with a smart core. Rahul Buddhi (₹8L) — a well-known name in franchise cricket circles, gives them a reliable, experienced top-order option. Rakshan (₹6L), Nitish (₹5.5L) and Nishant (₹5.5L) provide strong support.
With Arfaz (₹11L) as their highest buy and an efficiently assembled squad underneath, Nalgonda could be a dark horse this season.
Full squad: Arfaz (₹11L), Rahul Buddhi (₹8L), Rakshan (₹6L), Nitish (₹5.5L), Nishant (₹5.5L), Aniket (₹4.75L), Gaurav (₹4.5L), Varun Goud (₹3.5L), Pranav Suryadevara (₹2.5L), Ian (₹1L), Harshvardhan (₹1L), Chinnugari Rutwik, Divesh Singh, Jaswant, Vikrant, Sheikh Sameer, Sheikh Sohail, Sudhamsh, Jawwaji Srikanth, Urvesh
Player to watch: Rahul Buddhi
6. Karimnagar Diamonds
Owner: EIPL Group & Tibarumal Franchise bid: ₹4,57,00,000
Karimnagar Diamonds bet on experience and batting pedigree, building their squad around Tanmay Agarwal (₹8L) — one of Hyderabad’s most dependable top-order batters in domestic T20 cricket — as their Icon player.
They supplemented him with Chandan Sawhney (₹9.5L) and Ashish Srivastav (₹9L), creating a trio of established batters to anchor the innings. Abdul Adnan (₹3L) adds a bowling dimension.
Full squad: Chandan Sawhney (₹9.5L), Ashish Srivastav (₹9L), Tanmay Agarwal (₹8L), Rahul Radesh (₹4.5L), R. Dinesh (₹4.5L), Hrishikesh Simha (₹3.75L), Shubham Sharma (₹3.25L), Abdul Adnan (₹3L), Satwik (₹2L), Narayan Teja (₹2L), Akhil Kumar (₹1.5L), Satish Kumar (₹1L), Karthikeya, Ashish Abhay, Likhit, Sai Sharan, Nihal, Rayan Bin, Lokesh, Yash Satwalekar
Player to watch: Tanmay Agarwal
7. Palamuru Strikers
Owner: Veerabhadra Steels Franchise bid: ₹4,50,00,000
Palamuru Strikers, representing Mahbubnagar, assembled one of the deepest squads in the competition. They invested in two big buys, Ravikiran Majeti (₹13L) and Pragnya Reddy (₹11L), and added Rohit Rayudu (₹6.5L) in the Icon category for a well-rounded top order.
Prateik Pawar (₹4.25L) adds all-round balance, and the presence of multiple ₹2L-plus signings gives this squad genuine depth beyond the star names.
Full squad: Ravikiran Majeti (₹13L), Pragnya Reddy (₹11L), Rohit Rayudu (₹6.5L), Prateik Pawar (₹4.25L), Chaitanya (₹3.25L), Vignesh (₹3L), Prithvi (₹3L), Nishant Sen (₹2.3L), Afridi (₹2.3L), Rishabh (₹2L), Samhit (₹2L), Zeeshan (₹1L), Ashwad, Ratan Teja, Karan, Manikanteshwar, Shadab Ahmed, Nipun, Parthiban, Azharuddin
Players to watch: Ravikiran Majeti, Rohit Rayudu
8. Anvita Khammam Aces
Owner: Anvita Group Franchise bid: ₹4,44,44,444 — lowest in the league
Don’t let the lowest franchise bid fool you. Anvita Khammam Aces arguably made the single most headline-grabbing signing outside of Tilak and Siraj: CV Milind for ₹17 lakh — making him the most expensive uncapped player in the entire TG20 auction.
Milind is a pace all-rounder with a growing reputation in HCA cricket, and Khammam clearly saw something the other seven franchises did not value as highly. They also picked up Himateja (₹8L) and Mikil Jaiswal (₹6L) to build a competitive core around their marquee man.
Full squad: CV Milind (₹17L), Himateja (₹8L), Mikil Jaiswal (₹6L), Prateek Reddy (₹3.75L), Saket (₹3.5L), Vafi (₹3.25L), Kush Agarwal (₹3L), Mayank (₹3L), GSK Reddy (₹1.8L), Vidyananda (₹1.7L), Mahesh (₹1.3L), Sheikh Azhar (₹1L), Vishal Yadav, Loknath, Sidhu Naik, Paras Raj, Ved, Vivek, Sahendra, Awaaz Ahmed
Player to watch: CV Milind
TG20 2026 Records: By the Numbers
| Stat | Detail |
|---|---|
| Most expensive player | Tilak Varma — ₹33 lakh (Medak Falcons) |
| Most expensive uncapped player | CV Milind — ₹17 lakh (Anvita Khammam Aces) |
| Most expensive pacer | Mohammed Siraj — ₹14 lakh (Warangal Warriors) |
| Highest franchise bid | ₹7,50,01,000 — Hyderabad e-Champions |
| Lowest franchise bid | ₹4,44,44,444 — Anvita Khammam Aces |
| Total franchise value | ₹46+ crore |
| Total players signed | 160 |
| Total in player pool | 1,300+ |
| Salary cap per team | ₹60 lakh |
| Minimum spend per team | ₹54 lakh |
| District players per squad (minimum) | 4 |
| District players in Playing XI (minimum) | 2 |
TG20 Schedule, Venue and Broadcast Details
All 32 matches of the TG20 League 2026 are played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad, a 55,000-capacity venue that serves as home to the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and has hosted international cricket at the highest level.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Tournament start | June 21, 2026 |
| Final | July 11, 2026 |
| Total matches | 32 |
| Venue | Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Uppal |
| TV broadcast | Star Sports Telugu |
| Live streaming | JioHotstar |
| Afternoon match time | 2:15 PM IST |
| Evening match time | 7:15 PM IST |
| Opening ceremony | June 21, 5:30 PM IST |
The opening ceremony on June 21 features a live performance by National Award-winning music composer Thaman S — a cricket-meets-entertainment spectacle that sets the tone for the inaugural season.
Why TG20 Is More Than Just a League
The TG20’s arrival fills a structural gap that Telangana cricket has needed addressed for years. States with comparable leagues — Tamil Nadu (TNPL), Karnataka (KPL), have demonstrated measurable success in feeding domestic talent into the IPL system. Telangana, despite producing cricketers of genuine international calibre, had no equivalent mechanism.
With BCCI backing, experienced league management in Prasanna Kannan, mandatory grassroots quotas, an international-grade venue, and star power that can genuinely draw crowds, the TG20 has all the pieces in place to become one of India’s most important state T20 leagues within a few seasons.
HCA President Amarnath has already floated the idea of expanding to 10 teams in future editions. That conversation began before the first ball of the inaugural season was even bowled.
For now, eight teams, 160 players, and 32 matches. Telangana cricket’s new era starts June 21.
