PKL Season 11 Auction: 8 players in the crore club as franchises spend nearly Rs 34 cr
While Sachin Tanwar was taken in by Tamil Thalaivas for Rs 2.15 crore, Haryana Steelers spent Rs 2.07 crore for Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh
Pro Kabaddi League Season 11 player auction concluded on August 16 with the 12 franchises spending a total of Rs 33.7 crore for 118 players.
Sachin Tanwar was the highlight of the auction, acquired for Rs 2.15 crore by the Tamil Thalaivas. Iranian player Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh was secured by the Haryana Steelers for Rs 2.07 crore, making him the first international player to exceed Rs 2 crore in consecutive years. Additionally, six players each landed deals over Rs 1 crore, marking the first time the auction produced eight crorepatis. On the first day of the auction, the franchises spent Rs 17.782 crore, and on the following day, Rs 16 crore.
Anupam Goswami, Head of Sports Leagues at Mashal Sports and League Commissioner of the Pro Kabaddi League, commented, “The record eight players crossing the 1 crore mark on Day 1 and Category C players like Ajith V Kumar and Jai Bhagwan attracting bids over 60 lakh on Day 2 were remarkable. All franchises have built well-balanced squads, promising a highly competitive PKL Season 11.”
On Day 1, 20 players were sold, and three Final Bid Match (FBM) cards were used by the Bengal Warriorz, Telugu Titans, and Gujarat Giants for Maninder Singh, Pawan Sehrawat, and Sombir, respectively.
This Player Auction also saw a record number of players in the Rs 1-crore club in PKL's history. Sachin Tanwar, Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh, Guman Singh, Pawan Sehrawat, Bharat, Maninder Singh, Ajinkya Pawar and Sunil Kumar were part of the 1 crore club in the second day’s player auction. Sunil Kumar, who went to U Mumba for Rs 1.015 crore, became the most expensive Indian defender ever.
The player with the most raid points in the history of PKL - Pardeep Narwal - was acquired by Bengaluru Bulls for Rs 70 lakh. Meanwhile, veteran defender Surjeet Singh was bought by Jaipur Pink Panthers for Rs 60 lakh.
Ajith V Kumar became the most expensive player in Category C in this year's Player Auction after he was acquired by Puneri Paltan for Rs 66 lakh. Meanwhile, Jai Bhagwan was bought by Bengaluru Bulls for Rs 63 lakh.
Arjun Rathi emerged as the most expensive player in Category D after he was acquired by Bengal Warriorz for Rs 41 lakh. Furthermore, Mohd. Amaan found a place in the Puneri Paltan team for Rs 16.2 lakh and Stuwart Singh was bought for Rs 14.2 lakh by U Mumba.
