TPL Season 8 auction: Dhakshineswar, Costoulas, Lansere and Shymanovich fetch Rs 13 lakh each

Leander Paes, Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna attended the Tennis Premier League Season 8 player auction in Mumbai on Monday. | Photo Credit: special arrangement

India’s Dhakshineswar Suresh, Belgium’s Sofia Costoulas, Russia’s Sofya Lansere and Iryna Shymanovich emerged as the joint-most expensive players at the Tennis Premier League (TPL) Season 8 auction in Mumbai on Monday, fetching Rs 13 lakh each.

The auction, attended by tennis greats Leander Paes, Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna, saw eight franchises finalise their squads ahead of the tournament, scheduled from December 8 to 13 at the LB Stadium in Hyderabad.

Lucknow Blazers secured Dhakshineswar, currently ranked World No. 369 in singles, while defending champion GS Delhi Aces acquired Costoulas, who was part of its title-winning campaign last season.

Hyderabad Strikers signed Lansere, while Gujarat Panthers secured Shymanovich for the same amount.

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Among other Indian players, doubles specialist Sriram Balaji joined Rajasthan Rangers for Rs 8 lakh, while Anirudh Chandrasekar was acquired by Kolkata Thunder Blades for Rs 7.20 lakh.

Mumbai Royals signed Niki Poonacha for Rs 7.20 lakh, while Gurgaon Grand Slammers secured Shrivalli Bhamidipaty for Rs 7 lakh.

Ramkumar Ramanathan joined Gujarat Panthers for Rs 7 lakh, while Siddhant Banthia and Rithvik Choudhary Bollipalli were acquired by Hyderabad Strikers and GS Delhi Aces, respectively, for the same amount.

China’s Fangran Tian was among the notable overseas acquisitions, joining Kolkata Thunder Blades for Rs 9.20 lakh.

The eighth edition will feature the league’s 25-point format.