Follow UsDevdutt Padikkal was acquired by the Hubli Tigers for a fat sum of INR 13.20 lakh at the Maharaja T20 2025 auction, making him the most expensive player this season. Padikkal had an excellent season last year as well, scoring 253 runs at a strike rate of 140.55, helping Gulbarga Mystics to a semi-final finish.
Tigers made it to the final last year and will hope to go on to win the title this year with Padikkal in the side. Having linked up with his new team, Padikkal says that he is looking forward to the upcoming season.
“Obviously, I am really excited for the season. Hubli Tigers is a very nice franchise to be a part of. I have heard a lot about them, and I am obviously happy with how the squad is. We are pretty well-balanced, so I am looking forward to the season," Paddikal revealed.
"It's really great mood in the camp. Especially, in the Shriram Capital Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20, you play with a lot of these guys throughout the year anyway. So, it’s good to meet a few of them, some of them who I have played with before as well. It's been really great so far, and I am really happy with the squad."
Padikkal, who has played two Tests and two ODIs for India, believes that there will be more players emerging from this season, as they have from the previous seasons as well.
“The Shriram Capital Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 has always been a great platform for everyone in Karnataka to showcase their talents. This year will be no different, to be honest. I am sure there will be a few very exciting players that will come up from this tournament and I am eager to see how they perform,” he added.
The Maharaja Trophy T20 tournament will begin on August 11 and will go on till August 27, with all matches played at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.