The franchise based Nepal Super League (NSL) football tournament's auction saw 21 'A' category players sold for maximum price of Rs350,000 on Friday while Tribhuvan Army Club captain Bharat Khawas and Three Star captain Bikram Lama were among the unsold big names for the event scheduled for April 9 to May 21.

Along with the duo, altogether nine 'A' category players remained unsold including Machhindra Club forward Avishek Rijal, Aditya Chaudhary and Ram Chandra Wajee among 49 players in the top category.

The players in the auction were divided into 'A', 'B' and 'C' categories. The 'A' category players had a base price of Rs150,000 with a ceiling on Rs350,000. The 'B' and 'C' category players had base price of Rs100,000 and Rs50,000 and ceiling on Rs150,000 and Rs100,000 respectively. The 10 franchises spent more than Rs21 million in the auction.

Each side recruited four 'A' category, six 'B' category and five 'C' category players. The final squad will be of 23 members and all the clubs have roped in a marquee player each. In the remaining quota, they could hire five foreigner players each and two from talent hunt.

In cases where the bid amounts for players were equal, players were picked through lucky draws.

Khawas was the marquee player and captain of FC Chitwan in the last edition of the franchise-based football tournament that added three new teams making the event a 10-team competition in the second edition. His Chitwan FC had finished at the bottom of the table in the last edition of the tournament. Nepali international striker Khawas has been out of form recently and scored just one goal in his 12 appearances in the Martyrs Memorial 'A' Division League that concluded last Saturday.

Nepali international and Army forward Nawayug Shrestha was another unsold 'A' category player in the auction before he was bought through the wish list by last editions' runners-up Dhangadhi FC. The teams were given a chance to buy a maximum of three unsold players at their base price via a wish list.

Butwal Lumbini FC, Dhangadhi FC, Jhapa FC and Pokhara Thunders spent Rs350,000 each for three players. Dhangadhi were the highest spenders in the auction, splashing Rs2.4 million out of the total ceiling of Rs2.5 million. Jhapa spent Rs2.36 million and Butwal Lumbini Rs2.305 million for securing 15 players each. Sporting Ilam De Mechi spent the lowest amount at Rs18.5 million

Butwal Lumbini spent the highest amount on defender Suman Aryal, and Darshan Gurung and Ravi Shankar Paswan. Dhangadi spent Rs350,000 each on Simanta Thapa, Pujan Uperkoti and Aakash Budha Magar.

Defender Dinesh Rajbanshi, Tshering Gurung and Arik Bista cost Rs350,000 each for Pokhara Thunders while Jhapa FC spent the same amount on Sesehang Angdangbe, Nishan Khadka and Santosh Tamang.

Birgunj United FC, Kathmandu Rayzrs FC and Lalitpur City FC spent Rs350,000 to sign two players each while Sporting Ilam, FC Chitwan and Biratnagar City spent Rs350,000 just to get one player each.

Birgunj acquired Man Bahadur Tamang and Sudip Gurung for the highest price while defending champions Rayzrs spent the same amount on Ashish Gurung and Sunil Bal. Lalitpur City spent Rs350,000 each on Sanish Shrestha and Bishal Sunar.

Sporting Ilam, FC Chitwan and Biratnagar acquired Gautam Shrestha, Tridev Gurung and Deep Karki respectively for Rs350,000.

Sunil Bal, Dinesh Rajbanshi, Deep Karki, Nishant Khakda, Pujan Uperkoti, Suman Aryal and Bishal Sunar were all picked through golden buzzer, which allows a team to directly acquire one 'A' grade player for the highest price if they become first to press the buzzer after he is named for auction.

Among the total 251 players listed for auction, there were 101 each in 'B' and 'C' categories.