PKL 11 Auction: U Mumba sign defender Sunil Kumar

Sunil Kumar is the first defender to go above the 1 crore mark in the PKL 11 auction.

Season two champions U Mumba have hired the services of Sunil Kumar for season 11 of the Pro Kabaddi League. The two-time PKL champion was one of the most sought-after players because of his defensive abilities and captaincy skills. Bengaluru Bulls who released their defenders and Dabang Delhi who have retained two quality raiders wanted to hire Sunil Kumar for PKL 11 as they started the bidding war.

The bids quickly shot from 30 lakhs to 60 lakhs. After a long deliberation by Joginder Narwal and the team, Dabang Delhi decided to renew their fight for the cover defender. But the Bulls were determined to get the all-rounder as they continued while Delhi dropped out.

PKL 4 & 9 Champion Sunil Kumar will feature for U Mumba in PKL 11 🔥🔥The team bought the defender for an incredible ₹101.50 lakhs. #PKL | #PKL11 | #ProKabaddiLeague | #Kabaddi | #PKLSeason11 | #ProKabaddi pic.twitter.com/omznSRCb1y

— Khel Kabaddi (@KhelNowKabaddi) August 15, 2024

U Mumba after failing in attempts of Pawan Sehrawat and Mohammadreza Shadloui, wanted to get Sunil Kumar, their probable captain. They sealed the deal for just over Rs 1cr and with a nervous look over Jaipur Pink Panthers if they were exercising their FBM right. As the inaugural champions denied it, Mumbai had a sigh of relief to finally add a player to their team.

Also Read: PKL Auction Explainer: What are FBM cards and various categories

One of the achievements of the Pro Kabaddi League is its ability to pierce into the deep corners of India and bring young talents. Sunil Kumar is one such talent who came into the limelight after winning the Junior Championships in 2015 and 2016. He was quickly picked by the Patna Pirates during season four.

It was a beautiful learning curve for the cover defender as he spent time with the likes of Dharmaraj Cheralathan and Fazel Atrachali to add new dimensions to his game. He along with his cousin were picked as the cover combo for the then newly introduced Gujarat Giants in season five. With 58 points, he took his team to the finals, where he lost to his former team Patna Pirates.

Also Read: PKL 11 Auction Live Updates

He was retained for season six and the right cover defender performed with increased vigour to amass 78 points. It was a disappointing end as he and Gujarat lost to Bengaluru in the finals. The 27-year-old found a new home for season nine with the Jaipur Pink Panthers for a sum of 90 lakhs.

The trophy jinx was finally broken as Jaipur won their second PKL title under the captaincy of Sunil Kumar. The cover defender scored 65 points and with a tackle strike rate of 60%, he was pinning down the Raiders more often than not. He continued his great run in season 10 as well with 59 points which helped them finish as semifinalists.

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