Mithun Manjunath star buy at GPBL players draft

Alex is web content writer who is covering various sports, technology in sports and igaming space from 2017.

Published at :August 6, 2023 at 6:13 PM

Modified at :January 13, 2024 at 5:03 PM

Eight teams set to take part in the second edition

Bengaluru shuttler Mithun Manjunath who had stunned World No.7 Loh Kean Yew just a few days back at the Australian Open, emerged as the top buy of the draft at the players’ auction of the Season 2 of Grand Prix Badminton League (GPBL) held here late last evening. The 25-year-old was acquired by the Chennai Superstarz for a staggering 14.5 lakhs after a bidding war with Bengaluru Tigers. Mithun whose base price was Rs 8 lakh was in the icon category.

As many as 15 international players were also drafted after the teams were given options of choosing not more than two international players. Shin Baek Cheol was the second highest buy with Bengaluru Tigers acquiring the Republic of Korea shuttler for an impressive 14 lakhs. Cheol’s compatriot was picked up by Gujarat Lions for Rs 13 lakhs while India’s BWF World Championships bronze medal winner Sai Praneeth was bought by Northeast Rhinos for Rs 10 lakhs. The fifth highest buy was Polina Buhrova of Ukraine who was drafted by Mumbai Wolves for Rs 9 lakhs.

The draft saw 80 talented players being selected out of a roster of 150 players to represent eight prestigious teams in the upcoming season. A total of over 500 players had registered for the auction. Each of the eight teams – Bengaluru Tigers, Hyderabad Hounds, Chennai Superstarz, Gujarat Lions, Kerala Tuskers, Mumbai Wolves, Pune Panthers, and Northeast Rhinos – had a player purse of Rs 35 lakhs to craft their dream teams. Each team consists of an icon player, a minimum of two Tier-1 players, a minimum of two Tier-2 players and a minimum of two women players with an option to choose not more than two International players.

“We adopted a ‘maximum of two international players per team’ rule because we wanted to give more Indian players to be a part of GPBL,” said Prashanth Reddy, Commissioner GPBL. “We are thrilled with the outcome of the player draft. The enthusiasm displayed by the teams and fans alike showcases the immense popularity and growth of badminton as a sport. We look forward to witnessing incredible matches and fierce competition among the league’s top talents,” he added.

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GPBL became the first league in the country to guarantee a minimum pay for the players included in the final auction roster thereby benefitting 70-odd players who missed out on getting picked by any of the teams.

“Considering the talent, the team have strategically formed their quads. All the teams have a balanced side, however considering the explosive format that we have adopted for the League, any team can win on a given day,” opined Arvind Bhat, League Director.

The much anticipated season 2 of GPBL will be held from August 27 to September 9 in Bengaluru.

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Alex

Alex is graduate in the mass communication in 2016 since then he is covering global sports for Khel Now. He is covering sports tech, igaming, sports betting and casino domain from 2017.