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Who Is Atharva Ankolekar? Man Who Defeated Mhatre At T20 Mumbai League Auction

Sakshi Sharma

Atharva Ankolekar (Source:@Oam_16,x.com)Atharva Ankolekar (Source:@Oam_16,x.com)

In a significant moment at the T20 Mumbai League auction held on Wednesday, 24-year-old Atharva Ankolekar emerged as the most expensive player, with Eagle Thane Strikers securing his services for a whopping ₹16.25 lakh. 

The young all-rounder, who has consistently impressed with both bat and ball in domestic cricket, fetched a higher price than several prominent names including IPL players Ayush Mhatre and Angkrish Raghuvanshi.

Ayush Mhatre, currently part of CSK in the IPL 2025 season, was bought by Triumph Knights Mumbai North East for ₹14.75 lakh. KKR’s Angkrish Raghuvanshi went to SoBo Mumbai Falcons for ₹14 lakh. But it was Ankolekar who stole the spotlight with the highest bid of the auction.

Who is Atharva Ankolekar?

Born on September 26, 2000, in Mumbai,  Atharva Ankolekar is a left-handed batter and slow left-arm orthodox bowler, he rose to national attention during the 2019 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup. He finished as the tournament's highest wicket-taker, and was named Player of the Match in the final after a stunning spell of 5/28 against Bangladesh. 

Following his breakthrough, Ankolekar made his senior debut for Mumbai in January 2021. In List A cricket, across 15 matches, he has scored 161 runs and taken 16 wickets, with best figures of 4/55. His T20 numbers include 10 wickets and 92 runs from 15 appearances. 

What makes Ankolekar stand out, however, is not just his stats but his approach to the game. Ankolekar's disciplined bowling often marked by tight lines and intelligent variation combined with a growing ability to finish games with the bat, makes him a crucial and rising star in the T20 format.

T20 Mumbai League Auction Most Expensive Buys 

  • Atharva Ankolekar (₹16.25 lakh) - Eagle Thane Strikers 
  • Musheer Khan (₹15 lakh) - ARCS Andheri 
  • Sairaj Patil (₹15 lakh) - Eagle Thane Strikers 
  • Ayush Mhatre (₹14.75 lakh) - Triumph Knights Mumbai North East 
  • Angkrish Raghuvanshi (₹14 lakh) - SoBo Mumbai Falcons 
  • Shams Mulani (₹14 lakh) - Aakash Tigers Mumbai Western Suburbs