PKL 11 Auction: Most expensive buys ft. Sachin Tanwar and Shadloui

As many as eight players secured bids over Rs 1 Cr on Day 1 of PKL 11 auction.

The festival of Independence Day gave many kabaddi stars a chance to smile, as they earned big money at the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 11 auction, on Thursday.

The PKL 11 Auction is being conducted on 15th and 16th August, in Mumbai. More than 500 players, with varied skillsets have been up for grabs. With only 88 players (which includes 22 Elite Retained Players) being retained by the 12 franchisees, it was always supposed to be a blockbuster evening.

Raiders and defenders alike earned hefty contracts, as teams aimed to use their Rs 5 Cr budget appropriately to build a well-balanced team. Without further ado, let’s have a look at the most expensive signings from Day 1 of PKL 11 Auction.

5. Bharat Hooda — UP Yoddhas

Bharat Hooda was picked up by UP Yoddhas for a price of Rs 1.3 Crore. There was some fierce bidding for the 23-year-old between Telugu Titans, who wanted to reunite Pawan Sehrawat and Bharat, and the Yoddhas. The latter eventually had the budget to reign supreme.

At the Bengaluru Bulls, Bharat transformed from playing second fiddle to Pawan in season 8, to becoming the lead raider in season 9, scoring 279 points to become the second-best raider of the season. However, his performance was below-par last season, and he was openly criticized by coach Randhir.

Bharat would be looking for a fresh start at the Yoddhas and aim to create havoc, with Surender Gill.

Also Read: PKL 11 Auction: Full list of players who went unsold

4. Pawan Sehrawat — Telugu Titans

Telugu Titans used their Final Bid Match (FBM) card to secure the services of India skipper and raider Pawan Sehrawat for a second consecutive season.

U Mumba had secured the winning bid of Rs 1.725 lakhs, overcoming a stiff challenge by the Bengaluru Bulls, but the Telugu Titans had the last laugh.

Having won the season 6 title with the Bengaluru Bulls and also become the Most Valuable Player in that season, Sehrawat’s stocks kept rising. He then requested to be released for the season 9 auction. While he was picked up by the Tamil Thalaivas, an unfortunate injury in the first match ruled him out for the season.

He was then picked up by the Telugu Titans for a record price of Rs 2.615 Cr. While the 28-year-old was consistent as expected scoring 202 raid points, his team could only win two out of 22 matches. Having got reinforcements this time, apart from Pawan, the Titans are expected to fare better this time.

3. Guman Singh — Gujarat Giants

Young Guman Singh bagged a whopping deal of Rs 1.97 Cr from Gujarat Titans. The exciting raider will be sharing duties with the likes of Rakesh and Parteek Dahiya.

While Telugu Titans started the bidding, it was mainly a battle between UP Yoddhas and the Giants, with the latter reigning supreme, thus facilitating a reunion with coach Ram Mehar Singh.

Guman had first shown his immense potential under Ram Mehar Singh, at Patna Pirates. However, he was released before the next season, as the Pirates had a variety of raiders.

He, then, joined the 1 Crore club and was picked up by U Mumba. In his two seasons with the Men in Orange and Black, he gave a number of impressive performances to end up as the number #1 raider for his side on both occasions. However, injuries resulted in him missing a few matches in both seasons, harming his side’s prospects.

2. Mohammadreza Shadloui — Haryana Steelers

Iranian left corner Mohammadreza Chiyaneh Shadloui’s signing set the tempo for the evening, as he was picked up by the Haryana Steelers for a price of Rs 2.07 Cr. On a day when the legendary Fazel Atrachali didn’t find many takers, this signing stood out.

It was Telugu Titans who started the bidding. In fact, the Steelers had to stave off aggressive bidding from as many as four other teams (Titans, Gujarat Giants, U Mumba and Patna Pirates) to secure the signing of the all-rounder.

With the likes of Rahul Sethpal, Jaideep Dahiya and Mohit Nandal in their ranks, it is safe to say that the Steelers have the best defense, among the twelve franchisees.

Also Read: PKL 11 Auction Day 1 Highlights: Sachin Tanwar most expensive player; Pawan Sehrawat, Maninder retained using FBM

Shadloui set the stage on fire in his debut season (eighth edition) for the Pirates, securing 89 tackle points. He then proved that he was not a one season wonder, scoring 84 points in the next season.

After requesting to be released for the PKL 10 auctions, he was picked up by the Puneri Paltan for a price of Rs 2.35 Cr: the highest bid ever at the PKL for a foreign player. He then had the best ever performance for a defender at the PKL, with his 99 tackle points playing a huge role in Pune’s title-winning campaign.

1. Sachin Tanwar — Tamil Thalaivas

Sachin Tanwar was the most expensive player of the day, with the right raider getting picked at a mind-boggling price of Rs 2.15 Cr, by the Tamil Thalaivas. He is only the third player, after Shadloui and Pawan, to have crossed the two-crore barrier.

The Telugu Titans started the bid at Rs 70 lakhs, rather than Rs 30 lakhs. Then the UP Yoddhas joined in. While the Titans dropped out soon, the Gujarat Giants, led by Sachin’s former coach at Patna, Ram Mehar Singh, joined the fray.

Giants dropped out after crossing Rs 1.5 Cr. However, the Thalaivas joined the war. Towards the end, they made huge jumps and the Yoddhas eventually gave in. Thus, the Thalaivas secured the services of the right raider at a record price.

After a stellar debut season with the Gujarat Giants, Sachin suffered a second season syndrome and was released before the PKL 8 auctions. He was picked up by the Patna Pirates, and he started putting on extremely consistent performances under Coach Ram Mehar Singh.

He scored 172 raid points in 23 matches, playing a huge role in his team’s success as the Pirates agonizingly lost the final by 1 point.

The raider from Rajasthan maintained his performance in the next season, scoring 176 raid points. However, his team finished tenth in the table.

In the 10th edition, he took upon the mantle of leading an experienced raiding unit, as the Pirates managed to reach the semifinals.

Known for his high work rate and consistency in do-or-die situations, the 25-year-old would be wanting to make an instant impact, along with Narender Kandola, for the Thalaivas.

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