The 2025 season of Kerala Cricket League is here, and not every team looks ready for the big prize. After the auction and squad updates, three sides stand out as genuine title contenders. Let’s check who has the strongest chance to lift the trophy this year.
If you’re new to KCL, this guide also covers the 3 highest-paid players of 2025, free entry information, and the full match schedule.
Kerala-Only T20 Cricket League
The Kerala Cricket League (KCL) is a T20 league exclusively for players from Kerala. Its first season kicked off in 2024, organised by the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA). KCL runs on a franchise model, so you can think of it as a state-level IPL.
All players must be from Kerala. In the 2025 auction, all 170 registered players are local talent, some as young as 16. KCL gives these homegrown players a platform to showcase their skills, and for some, it’s a chance to get noticed for the IPL or even the national team.
Kerala Cricket League Teams
The Kerala Cricket League has 6 teams, each named after a major city or region in Kerala:
- Aries Kollam Sailors
- Calicut Globstars
- Trivandrum Royals
- Thrissur Titans
- Kochi Blue Tigers
- Alleppey Ripples
Kerala Cricket League 2025 Championship Favorites
Based on last season’s performance and the current player lineups, here are the three teams most likely to win the 2025 Kerala Cricket League.
Calicut Globstars
Calicut Globstars lost narrowly in the 2024 final but ended the season with the league’s highest goal difference, showing their strong performance throughout the tournament.
In the 2025 auction, they added young talents like Ajnas M and S Midhun, improving their bowling rotation. The KCL venues also favour their batting lineup, giving them a chance to come back stronger with a more complete squad.
Key Players:
- Rohan Kunnummal: Highly effective in the Powerplay, scored three half-centuries in 2024.
- Salman Nizar: A stable anchor batsman, good at adjusting the game tempo.
- Akhil Scaria: An all-rounder with match-winning potential.
Kochi Blue Tigers
In the 2025 auction, Kochi Blue Tigers spent more than half their budget to sign Sanju Samson, and used the remaining funds to bring in young players like Akhin Sathar and Jerin PS.
Samson is not just a star player but also the tactical core of the team, helping stabilize the young lineup. This makes the team one to watch in 2025.
Key Players:
- Sanju Samson: A powerful middle-order batsman and IPL veteran, capable of turning the game around in the final overs.
- Basil Thampi: Specialist in death overs, took multiple 2-wicket hauls in the 2024 season.
- Vinoop Manoharan: A versatile all-rounder, maintained an average strike rate of over 130 in 2024.
Aries Kollam Sailors
Aries Kollam Sailors were the 2024 KCL champions, finishing the season with a 78% win rate and demonstrating strong overall performance.
In 2025, the team retained the core players, including Sachin Baby and Vishnu Vinod, and added talents like MS Akhil in the auction. Their experience and team chemistry remain their biggest strengths.
Key Players:
- Sachin Baby (Captain): A steady middle-order batsman with an average of over 45 in 2024.
- Vishnu Vinod: An aggressive opener, ranked among the top three in the league for Powerplay scoring.
- Sharafuddeen NM: An all-rounder who can boost the run rate in the middle and later overs.
After this analysis, the favorites and top batsmen of KCL 2025 are quite clear. Now you know where to put your money if you want to earn some extra pocket cash!
Kerala Cricket League 2025 Auction
The 2025 KCL auction comes with a more flexible retention system compared to 2024.
Retention rules: Teams can now retain 4 players instead of 3, and a Right-to-Match (RTM) card has been introduced, allowing each team to keep players from their 2024 squad.
Budget increase: The team’s total budget increased from 40 lakh INR to 50 lakh INR, giving franchises more room to strengthen their squads.
Kerala Cricket League 2025 Top 3 Buys
Thanks to the increased budget, the 2025 KCL auction saw several players going for well above last season’s top price, M.S. Akhil at INR 7.4 lakh.
Sanju Samson – ₹26.8 lakh
Sanju Samson was bought by Kochi Blue Tigers for INR 26.8 lakh, making him the most expensive player in KCL history.
As an Indian national team player and former captain of Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, Samson has played around 170 matches, scoring nearly 4,500 runs with an average of about 30 and a strike rate of 137.
Although his IPL captaincy experience shows his leadership potential, he will not serve as captain in KCL.
This can be a good thing as it allows him to focus on playing in crucial innings and contributing on the field.
Vishnu Vinod – ₹12.80 lakh
Vishnu Vinod is well known for his ability to score quickly. In T20 matches, he has played 68 games, scoring around 1,400 runs with an average of about 25 and a strike rate of 135.
With Aries Kollam Sailors, he is likely to open the batting alongside retained players like Sachin Baby.
His addition strengthens the team’s lineup and gives them more firepower when chasing goals.
Jalaj Saxena – ₹12.40 lakh
Jalaj Saxena has played 73 T20 matches, taking 77 wickets with an impressive economy rate of 6.64.
His recent achievement in 2024 made him the first player in Ranji Trophy history to score over 6,000 runs and take 400 wickets.
He will use his variety of bowling, including slower balls and off-spin, for Alleppey Ripples.
Partnering with teammates like Mohammed Azharuddeen and Vignesh Puthur, He is considered to have one of the strongest spin bowling duos in the league.
Will Kerala Cricket League 2025 Have Free Entry?
Currently, there is no ticket information online. In 2024, the first season of KCL had free entry, and KCA may continue this in 2025, especially since the league is still building its brand and wants to attract more local fans.
However, as the league grows, lower-priced tickets ranging from INR 100 to INR 1,000 may be introduced to balance revenues.
Kerala Cricket League 2025 Schedule
The 2025 Kerala Cricket League will take place from August 21 to September 6, with all matches held at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
The league follows a double round-robin format plus playoffs, including semi-finals and the final, with a total 33 matches.
2:30 PM – Aries Kollam Sailors vs Calicut Globstars
7:45 PM – Adani Trivandrum Royals vs Kochi Blue Tigers
2:30 PM – Alleppey Ripples vs Thrissur Titans
6:45 PM – Aries Kollam Sailors vs Adani Trivandrum Royals
2:30 PM – Kochi Blue Tigers vs Alleppey Ripples
6:45 PM – Thrissur Titans vs Calicut Globstars
2:30 PM – Calicut Globstars vs Adani Trivandrum Royals
6:45 PM – Kochi Blue Tigers vs Aries Kollam Sailors
2:30 PM – Aries Kollam Sailors vs Thrissur Titans
6:45 PM – Alleppey Ripples vs Adani Trivandrum Royals
2:30 PM – Thrissur Titans vs Kochi Blue Tigers
6:45 PM – Alleppey Ripples vs Calicut Globstars
2:30 PM – Calicut Globstars vs Kochi Blue Tigers
6:45 PM – Adani Trivandrum Royals vs Thrissur Titans
2:30 PM – Kochi Blue Tigers vs Adani Trivandrum Royals
6:45 PM – Aries Kollam Sailors vs Alleppey Ripples
2:30 PM – Thrissur Titans vs Aries Kollam Sailors
6:45 PM – Calicut Globstars vs Alleppey Ripples
