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Karun Nair, Prasidh Krishna, and Mayank Agarawal were amongst the key players retained on Friday as the Shriram Capital Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 is all set to return for its much-anticipated fourth edition.
The two-week tournament is set to unfold between August 11 and 27 at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. This year's edition will be held as a closed-door event, with no spectators in the stands,, according to a press release from KSCA. The marquee competition will feature six teams: defending champions Mysore Warriors, runners-up Bengaluru Blasters, Hubli Tigers, Gulbarga Mystics, Shivamogga Lions, and Mangaluru Dragons. Defending champions Mysore Warriors will once again count on their captain, Karun Nair, last season's top scorer with 560 runs, to lead the charge. Young batting sensation Karthik SU, who stood out last season with 372 runs in 12 innings, including three half-centuries, will join him in the top order. Indian pace ace Prasidh Krishna, along with seasoned all-rounder Karthik CA, round off a strong core. Bengaluru Blasters, last season's runners-up, continue to bank on the experience of opener Mayank Agarawal, wicketkeeper Suraj Ahuja, and all-rounder Shubhang Hegde, one of their standout performers last year, with 201 runs and 14 wickets. The team has also bolstered its lineup with the return of Naveen MG. The Hubli Tigers will look to wicketkeeper KL Shrijith to provide firepower at the top after his impressive 349-run campaign last year, which included an unbeaten century. The Tigers have retained all-rounders, including India U19's KP Karthikeya, Manvanth Kumar and KC Cariappa as part of the team's core group. For Gulbarga Mystics, Captain Vyshak Vijaykumar returns to the fray, while the top order will feature Smaran R and wicketkeeper-batter Luvnith Sisodia, both of whom were amongst the season's top scorers, aggregating 616 runs between them. The industrious Praveen Dubey adds further experience and balance to the side. Shivamogga Lions have retained right-arm pacer Vasuki Koushik, who brings control and experience to their bowling attack. Wicketkeeper Nihal Ullal continues as a key figure behind the stumps, while slow left-arm spinner Hardik Raj and bowling all-rounder Avinash D make up their retentions. Mangaluru Dragons, meanwhile, have kept faith in left-arm pacer Abhilash Shetty, promising all-rounders Macneil Noronha and Paras Gurbax Arya return to the fold, alongside right-handed batter Lochan Gowda. The player auction is scheduled for July 15, where each team must build out their squads with a minimum of 16 players and no more than 18 players, excluding two mandatory picks from their respective catchment areas. With all matches hosted at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, the state-of-the-art sub-air system will help minimise any match time lost due to the monsoon season. (ANI)
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