Who is Tejasvi Dahiya? 5 interesting facts about KKR's ₹3 crore signing at IPL 2026 auction 

Delhi wicketkeeper-batter Tejasvi Dahiya was among the several uncapped players to secure his maiden IPL contract at the 2026 auction. The event was held on Tuesday, December 16, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

The 23-year-old was one of the 13 signings made by three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Entering the auction with a base price of ₹30 lakh, the right-handed batter sparked a bidding war before being snapped up by the franchise for ₹3 crore.

As the young cricketer prepares to turn out for KKR in the upcoming IPL season alongside some of the game’s biggest names, here are five interesting facts about the Delhi batter.

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#1 Tejasvi Dahiya made his T20 debut for Delhi under the leadership of Nitish Rana

Tejasvi Dahiya made his T20 debut for Delhi during the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, featuring against Tamil Nadu under the captaincy of Nitish Rana. Although Delhi emerged victorious in that match, Dahiya did not get an opportunity to bat.

He went on to play six matches in the tournament, scoring 113 runs across four innings at an impressive average of 56.50 and a strike rate of 168.65. His standout performance came against Karnataka, where he smashed an unbeaten 53 off just 19 deliveries.

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#2 Recorded the fastest fifty of the 2025 Delhi Premier League, reaching the milestone in just 12 balls

The 23-year-old lit up the 2025 Delhi Premier League when he smashed a blistering 12-ball fifty for South Delhi Superstarz against Purani Dilli 6. He eventually finished with 69 off just 21 balls, hammering three fours and nine sixes as his side chased down a target of 134 in only 6.5 overs, sealing an eight-wicket win with one ball to spare in a rain-affected contest.

Overall, he enjoyed a stellar campaign, amassing 339 runs in 10 innings at an impressive average of 48.43 and a strike rate of 190.45, including four half-centuries with a highest score of 72.

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#3 Trained under Dronacharya Award-winning Indian cricket coach Dr Sanjay Bhardwaj

Tejasvi Dahiya has trained under Dronacharya Award-winning cricket coach Dr Sanjay Bhardwaj, who is renowned for nurturing top talents such as current India head coach Gautam Gambhir, Unmukt Chand, and Priyansh Arya. Earlier this year, in an interview with The Delhi Junction, Tejasvi said:

“I started playing in school, like everyone does, and while studying there I played school matches regularly. Then, when I was around 13 or 14 years old, I shifted to the LB Shastri Cricket Academy under Sanjay Bhardwaj sir. That’s where I began my professional journey, and after that I played for Delhi Under-19, Under-23.”

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#4 Names MS Dhoni as his idol

The Delhi-born player cites former India captain and current Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter MS Dhoni as his idol. In the aforementioned interview, Tejasvi Dahiya revealed:

“MS Dhoni. He is very calm, yet aggressive. When he comes in to bat, he stays very composed but takes the game deep. He is one of the best finishers currently and of all time, considering how many matches he has won for India and how often he has taken games deep. Many times, while following him, I’ve seen him single-handedly win matches on his own. So, he is extremely calm, and at the same time, his aggression clearly shows in his performances.”

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#5 Comes from a family of teachers

Tejasvi Dahiya comes from a non-cricketing family, with both his parents working in education. According to TOI, his father, Ravindra Singh Dahiya, teaches mathematics, while his mother, Babita Dahiya, is an economics teacher at a government school in Delhi.

It now remains to be seen how the Delhi-born batter will seize the opportunity if given game time for KKR in the IPL 2026 season.