Odisha T20 League 2026: Player Draft Concludes with Six Franchises Finalized
Overview of the Odisha T20 League 2026 Draft
On Sunday, the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) conducted the player draft for the Odisha T20 League 2026 - CM Trophy, successfully finalizing the squads for all six franchises participating in the upcoming season. Each team selected 16 players during this event, completing their rosters ahead of the tournament.
The draft showcased a wealth of promising cricket talent from across Odisha, providing players with a professional platform to advance their careers, as stated in a press release. Notably, former Indian cricketers Suresh Raina and Debashish Mohanty were appointed as brand ambassadors for the league, enhancing its stature and appeal.
Participating Franchises
The six franchises competing in the Odisha T20 League 2026 - CM Trophy include:
1. Bhubaneswar Tigers
2. Puri Titans
3. Keonjhar Miners
4. Rourkela Superstars
5. Sambalpur Warriors
6. Cuttack Panthers
Statements from OCA Officials
During the event, OCA Honorary Secretary Sanjay Behera emphasized the significance of the draft's completion as a crucial milestone for the upcoming season. He acknowledged the league's role in fostering opportunities for local cricketers, stating, "As we enter the second edition of the Odisha T20 League 2026 - CM Trophy, I extend my gratitude to all team owners, coaches, and members of the Odisha Cricket Association for their unwavering support. The growing interest from franchise owners and investors is a promising indicator of the league's commercial potential. Most importantly, this tournament aims to create a robust platform for our players, paving the way for their advancement. We are committed to enhancing the league and providing more opportunities for our cricketers, propelling Odisha cricket forward."
Dignitaries Present at the Ceremony
The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including:
1. Pankaj Lochan Mohanty, President, OCA
2. Sanjay Behera, Secretary, OCA
3. Jagamohan Pattnaik, Vice-President, OCA
4. Bikash Pradhan, Treasurer, OCA
5. Prabhat Kumar Bhol, Joint Secretary, OCA
Complete Squads of the Franchises
Bhubaneswar Tigers
Head Coach: Subit Biswal
Assistant Coach: Bibhudatta Panda
Squad: Swastik Samal (C), Rajesh Mohanty, Shreyansh Bhardwaj, Badal Biswal, Ashutosh Chhuria, Sambit Beja, Md Sohail Khan, Dinesh Kumar Majhi, Gyana Ranjan Nayak, Rudra Prasad Mallick, Janam Jay Jena, Swayambhu Palai, Ritesh Priyaranjan, Rakesh Pattanaik, Umesh Kumar Goutam, Shashikant Yadav
Puri Titans
Head Coach: Preetamjit Das
Assistant Coach: Ashish Savita
Full Squad: Aditya Rout (C), Nihar B Bhuyan, Deepak Tiwari, Sreeyanshu Pattnaik, Ayush Sutar, Swayam Srivastava, Chandeep Riar, Anil Parida, Krishna Mohanty, Sunil Roul, Panakala Sasanka, Aditya Anand, Sumit Sharma, Aashirwad Swain, Sarbeswar Mohanty, Tarani Sa
Keonjhar Miners
Head Coach: Suryakant Pradhan
Assistant Coach: Girija Rout
Full Squad: Rajesh Dhupar, Subhransu Senapati (C), Debabrata Pradhan, Jamala Mohapatra, Sujal Singh, Prayash Kumar Singh, Vageesh Sharma, Ayush Barik, Vimal Kumar, Jogeswar Bag, Swagat Sourav Mishra, Arnab Patnaik, Mayank Pattnayak, Kshyama Sagar Bal, Rakesh Biswal, Soyanshu Pattnayak
Rourkela Superstars
Coach: Sanjay Raul
Assistant Coach: Prashant Sahoo
Full Squad: Govinda Poddar (C), Sambit Baral, Sawan Pahariya, Biswajeet Pradhan, Asutosh Marndi, Pappu Roy, Sandeep Pattnaik, Bivash Shaw, Akash Mohapatra, Subham Priyadarshi, Prayan Samal, Sobhan Dev, Behera, Dibyam Chhapadia, Abhishek Kumar Yadav, Soubhagya Rout, Omkar Mohanty
Sambalpur Warriors
Head Coach: Basant Mohanty
Assistant Coach: Rakesh Mohanty
Full Squad: Gaurav Choudhury (C), Swoop Samith Bhuyan, Bikram Kishor, Samal, Ankit Yadav, Debabrata Pradhan Jr, Mahesh Sahoo, Baibhav Mohanty, Sarthak Panda, Panakala Mokshit, Shantanu Mishra, Md Danish, Saideep Mohapatra, Pradeep Pradhan, Sayed Tufayl Ahmad, Om T Munde, Soumya Ranjan Lenka
Cuttack Panthers
Head Coach: Pravanjan Mullick
Assistant Coach: Deepak Mangaraj
Full Squad: Biplab Samantaray (C), D Ayush, M Goutam Gopal, Soumya Ranjan Biswal, Sibun Nanda, Abhiroop Das, Sarthak S Prakash, Subhasis Mallick, Raaz Yadav, Priyansu Mohanty, Piyus Mantri, Abhishek Singh, Prasant Rana, Kartik Biswal, Sourav Gouda, Subham Satrujit
Looking Ahead
With the squads now established, the Odisha T20 League 2026 - CM Trophy is poised for another exciting season of competitive cricket, continuing its mission to provide a platform for emerging talent from the state.