PKL 11 Auction: Top five legends who went unsold
Rahul Chaudhari was among the legends who remained unsold in the PKL 11 auction.
The advent of the franchise leagues led to the introduction of auctions. The first step towards winning these leagues is to perform extremely well in the auction. Teams can choose any player they want, but in order to acquire them, they will need to outbid their rivals on the table. It is a battle of data analytics and human emotions in the Auction as they make quick decisions to build their team.
To handle this situation, teams hire auction specialists and analysts to build scenarios. As a result, the teams opt out of buying a few players as they look to build a team with perfect balance. Franchises always have an eye for the future and decide to let go of some of the senior players. Kabaddi is a sport that involves speed and agility as primary traits, a slight dip in it will result in teams opting for new picks.
The PKL 11 auction for season 11 of the Pro Kabaddi League was no different as many legends missed getting a bid for themselves. Here are the top five legends who will be missed in action for the upcoming season.
Top five legends who went unsold in PKL 11 auction
#5 Surinder Singh
Surinder Singh found no takers for him on the second day of the PKL 11 auction. The right-cover defender was the skipper of U Mumba in season 10. A veteran of the franchise, having represented them in five of the six seasons he has played so far, Surinder was at his dominating best in his first three years.
Entering the party in season five, the Himachal-boy scored 58 tackle points. The next season saw him join hands with Fazel Atrachali which brought out his full potential.
Surinder became the first defender to be part of 100 successful assists in a season. His move to Telugu Titans didn’t pan out the way he expected as inconsistency creeped him. Although he came back to U Mumba and was given the leadership responsibility in season 10, he couldn’t bring back his mojo. Despite his age, it was a surprise that the 25-year-old remained unsold.
Also Read: PKL 11 Auction: Most expensive buys ft. Sachin Tanwar and Shadloui
#4 Ran Singh
When Jaipur Pink Panthers won the inaugural edition, one of the crucial members of the squad was Ran Singh. The Panthers kept him for the first four years because of his all-around skills as he amassed 156 points. Bengal Warriors then grabbed him when the league expanded to include 12 franchises. Much like fine wine, he became better with age as he scored 64 and 71 in the following two seasons with the Warriors.
Although Ran Singh had a respectable season seven with the Tamil Thalaivas, he suffered a significant setback when joining the Bengaluru Bulls for season eight. The corner played 22 games throughout his two seasons with the Bulls scoring a mere 32 points. Given the standards of PKL, the teams decided against hiring him despite his base price being as low as Rs 13 lakhs.
#3 Sandeep Narwal
One of the intriguing personalities of the Pro Kabaddi League is Sandeep Narwal. Fans adore his aggressiveness, and he has played in the league since its inception. To the surprise of many fans, the all-rounder remained on the unsold list. It was a disappointing for the fans as they were hoping to see him back in PKL 11.
Frequently positioned as the corner defender, his powerful build body enabled him to switch to a cover position to execute a dash. The 31-year-old was part of two championship-winning seasons, one with Dabang Delhi KC in season eight and the other with Patna Pirates in 2016. Despite his experience, teams overlooked the burly all-rounder in the auction.
Also Read: PKL 11 Auction: Full list of players who went unsold
#2 Deepak Niwas Hooda
Pro Kabaddi League despite being a league with overseas players is widely dominated by the presence of Indian players. Every team wants quality players on their side and to have a former India captain on their side is something every team would want. But for the second consecutive year, the teams have decided against bidding for Deepak Niwas Hooda.
The all-rounder has been an integral part of many PKL sides in the past and has contributed massively to his team. Despite not playing for a year, the fact that he still ranks among the top five raiders of all-time shows his ability. But teams have their own plans and unfortunately for the 30-year-old, he doesn’t seem to fit in any of those plans.
#1 Rahul Chaudhari
The showman, the Poster Boy of Indian Kabaddi, The ShowStopper, adjectives describing Rahul Chaudhari were endless as he dominated the initial years of the Pro Kabaddi League. However, Rahul hasn’t been able to replicate his previous level of performance, thus things have changed. During his first six seasons, he was with the Telugu Titans contributing 876 points in 100 matches.
The 31-year-old’s form has only gone downhill with each passing season after leaving the Titans. In season seven, he joined the Tamil Thalaivas, however, he was unable to turn around the team’s performance.
Since then, Rahul Chaudhari has been selected by the Puneri Paltans and Jaipur Pink Panthers as their backup raider. He could muster only 230 points in 54 matches. The PKL 11 Auction saw a new low as he was not picked by any of the teams.
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