The Nepal Premier League auction saw 12 category A players sold for a maximum price of Rs1.5 million, with Anil Sah, Gulsan Jha, Lokesh Bam among those highlighting the show on Sunday.

Anil Sah and Gulsan Jha were the biggest attraction of the auction, with seven teams bidding for the category A national team member.

Janakpur Bolts won the tug-of-war over the wicketkeeper batter Sah through a lucky draw for Rs1.5 million.

Sah has impressed with the bat in the opening order with Aasif Sheikh with the national team during the Canada T20I Series in King City.

Sah will pair with Aasif in the opening order again at Janakpur, who have the latter as their marquee player.

National team star and allrounder Jha was secured by Karnali Yaks for Rs1.5 million through lucky draw. The 19-year-old, who has already established himself as one of the most formidable forces in the national jersey and recently gained a new height with his spectacular allrounder display in Canada, will reunite with Sompal Kami and Dev Khanal at Karnali.

Kami is the marquee player of Karnali, who also bought Khanal at a base price of Rs1 million.

Pratish GC, Surya Tamang, Sundeep Jora, Bibek Yadav, Aarif Sheikh, Sagar Dhakal, Lokesh Bam, Bhim Sharki, Lalit Rajbanshi and Shahab Alam were the other players to attract highest bids of Rs1.5 million each.

The players in the auction were divided into A, B and C categories. The A category players had a base price of Rs1 million with a ceiling on Rs1.5 million. The B and C category players had base price of Rs500,000 and Rs200,000 and ceiling on Rs1 million and Rs500,000 respectively.

Each team was required to buy three A category players, four B category players and three category C players. Their marquee players were already selected.

Aakash Tripathi was the other coolest buy, with Kathmandu Gurkhas and Janakpur engaging in a two-way bidding war and refusing to retreat. Tripathi, who entered the auction at a base price of Rs500,000, was finally sold at Rs1 million after Janakpur had the last laugh in the lucky draw.

Category B players Tilak Bhandari, Kiran Thagunna, Rupesh Singh, Bipin Rawal, Narayan Joshi and Aashutosh Ghiraiya were also sold at the highest price of Rs1 million.

All category A players—Abinash Bohara, Aakash Chand, Rashid Khan, Rijan Dhakal, Dev Khanal, Binod Bhandari, Bashir Ahmad, Sharad Vesawakar, Arjun Saud, Dilip Nath, Nandan Yadav, Kishor Mahato, Kamal Singh Airee, Suman Gautam and Hemant Dhami—attracted interest.

But Saud, Dhami and Gautam almost fell into the flop list as they were sold at Rs500,000 each—the lowest bid for a category A player.

Each franchise team was allowed to spend a maximum of Rs9 million and a minimum of 6.5 million at the auction.

Lumbini Lions were the biggest spenders at the auction, laying out a whooping Rs8.475 million. Lumbini, who feature national team captain Rohit Paudel as their marquee player, acquired Surya Tamang, Bibek Yadav and Sundeep Jora at the highest bids. Lumbini also bought category A player Saud.

Pokhara Avengers splashed Rs8.050 million—second biggest spending—and made significant purchases, securing the services of Sagar Dhakal, Aakash Chand and Dilip Nath.

Janakpur, Karnali, Sudurpaschim Royals and Kathmandu spent more than Rs7 million, while Biratnagar Kings spent Rs6.65 million at the auction.

Despite spending the least (Rs6.3 million), Chitwan Rhinos, whose marquee player is Kushal Malla, secured Rijan Dhakal, Kamal Airee, Sharad Vesawakar at the base price.

Eight teams will vie for supremacy in the first edition of the Nepal Premier League, which is scheduled to take place from November 30 to December 21 in Kathmandu.

The teams will sign a player each through talent hunt while the remaining four players in each squad will be foreign signings.