PKL 11 Auction: Mohammadreza Shadloui signed by Haryana Steelers as first pick

Mohammadreza Shadloui was the first pick at the PKL 11 Auction.

Iran’s young sensation Mohammadreza Shadloui once again broke the Rs 2 crore bank as Haryana Steelers spent a whopping Rs 2.07 crores at the PKL 11 Auction to get him to wear the blue and white jersey. It was the Telugu Titans who started the bidding at the base price as they desperately needed the enigmatic Iranian. Shadloui’s first PKL team Patna Pirates jumped the gun to increase the bid to 50L.

Another team that finished in the bottom quarter UP Yoddhas wanted to slot him as they pushed the bid to 80L. It was clear that the all-rounder was in for a huge demand. The bids quickly went past the 1 crore mark with Gujarat Giants and U Mumba fighting for him. It wasn’t a surprise that the coaches of both teams Ram Mehar Singh and Gholamreza Mazandarani love aggressive gameplay.

Talking about aggressive coaches, it was tough to keep Haryana Steelers’ Manpreet Singh silent as he entered the fray at 1.77 cr. His stubborn face made it clear that he wanted the 23-year-old at the left corner as he outbid Gujarat at 2.07 cr. The price was more than the purse available with Puneri Paltans and hence the FBM option was ruled out.

Also Read: PKL 11 Auction Live Updates

The Pro Kabaddi League has seen many top performers over the last decade. One man who seems to have everyone by storm is the Iranian all-rounder Mohammadreza Shadloui. In the last three seasons, the youngster has been sensational. Starting with Patna Pirates, he scored a whopping 89 tackle points in his debut season.

In his first season, he further cemented his image and asserted his power as he was awarded the best defender of the tournament title. With his all-round performance, he helped Patna Pirates progress to the 2021–22 finals where they lost to Dabang Delhi KC. Patna Pirates decided to keep him for the 2022 season. He finished as the player with the second-most tackle points for the season scoring 84 points in 20 games.

At the PKL 2023 Season 10 Auction, Puneri Paltan purchased him for a record-breaking INR 2.35 cr, making him the most expensive foreign player in league history. He was a key player in Puneri Paltan’s historic victory in the 10th season, as they defeated Haryana Steelers in the championship game. With 99 points, he had the highest number of tackle points of any player.

His camaraderie with the young Indian players was one of the talking points of the season. During the Chennai leg, he carried Abinesh Nadarajan on his shoulders to the applause of the Chennai crowd who were cheering for the boy from the state. If he can repeat the same, he could be lifting another trophy at the end of the season with Haryana Steelers.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Kabaddi on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.