Who ended up as the highest pick at the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League auction?
It was not Shubman Gill, and it was not Abhishek Sharma either, even though both are headline names in the tournament. The distinction went to Sanvir Singh, an all-rounder from Ludhiana, who was picked by Fazilka Falcons for Rs 13.20 lakh in the first half of the auction, making him the costliest player of the day.
Sanvir will now share a dressing room with Shubman Gill, who leads Fazilka Falcons as their marquee player and captains the Indian cricket team. For a domestic all-rounder, that is about as good a platform as it gets heading into a new season.
What is the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League?
The Sher-e-Punjab T20 League is Punjab’s own version of a franchise tournament, backed by the Punjab Cricket Association and built around six teams representing different regions of the state, Fazilka Falcons, Amritsar Soormas, Ludhiana Lions, Jalandhar Warriors, Mohali Kings, and Bathinda Royals. The tournament features Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Ramandeep Singh, and Gurnoor Brar as marquee players leading their respective sides, with matches set to be played at PCA Stadium in Mohali.
PCA president Amarjit Singh Mehta called the league a chance for players across Punjab to get exposure at a stadium most only dream of playing at, while PCA secretary Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer pointed to the auction as proof of how deep the state’s domestic talent pool actually runs.
So who exactly is Sanvir Singh?
Sanvir Singh is a 29-year-old all-rounder from Ludhiana who bats right-handed at the top of the order and bowls right-arm medium pace. He made his first-class debut in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy season and did not waste any time making an impression, scoring a century on debut against Andhra Pradesh.
His numbers in white-ball domestic cricket stand out even more. He was Player of the Tournament in the 2023 edition of the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League itself, scoring 502 runs and taking 15 wickets across the season, a genuine all-round haul that explains why franchises were willing to pay top money for him this time around. He followed that up by playing a key role in Punjab’s title-winning 2023-24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign, scoring 142 runs at a strike rate above 208.
Has he played IPL before?
Yes. Sanvir Singh was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad at the IPL auction for Rs 20 lakh and made his debut for the franchise in the 2023 season against Gujarat Titans. He played six matches for SRH, scoring 25 runs at a strike rate of 119.05, though he did not pick up a wicket in his limited opportunities with the ball. It was a brief stint, and not one that fully reflected his domestic form, which is part of why his price tag at this auction raised eyebrows.
Why franchises rated him so highly
Sanvir’s appeal comes down to a track record that keeps repeating itself at the domestic level. He contributes with both bat and ball, has a proven history in this exact tournament, and has already shown he can perform under pressure in high-stakes finals. For a league built around giving Punjab’s own talent a bigger stage, his price tag was less of a surprise once you look past the bigger names at the top of the marquee list.
Who else made a mark in the first half of the auction?
Sanvir was the headline pick, but he was not the only one to draw serious money on the day. Naman Dhir went to Amritsar Soormas for Rs 10.80 lakh, making him the second-highest pick of the first half. Dhir has been a consistent name on the Punjab T20 circuit and has previous IPL experience with Mumbai Indians, so franchises clearly valued the power-hitting he brings at the top or middle of the order.
Amolpreet Singh was picked up by Mohali Kings for Rs 8.20 lakh, rounding out the top three buys of the day. Between Sanvir, Dhir, and Amolpreet, the auction’s biggest numbers went to players who have already delivered for Punjab in white-ball cricket, rather than to unproven names, which says something about how the six franchises approached their strategy.
With marquee players like Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Ramandeep Singh, and Gurnoor Brar already locked in to lead their respective sides, the auction was always going to be about building depth around them. Early indications suggest franchises prioritized proven domestic performers who could contribute immediately, rather than gambling on inexperienced players just to save money.
The second half of the auction is expected to fill out the remaining squad slots, and it will be worth watching whether any player comes close to challenging Sanvir’s price tag as the tournament’s most expensive buy.
With Fazilka Falcons pairing him alongside Shubman Gill, Sanvir Singh walks into the new season with both a price tag and expectations to match. Whether he can convert that domestic consistency into IPL-level opportunities remains the bigger question, but this auction has certainly put his name back in the conversation.
Lucky Raina is a complete cricket writer chasing corporate dreams by day and cricket stories by night. Once a promising Under 16 cricketer, life took him down a different pitch but the love for the game never left.
