Big players who might go unsold in PKL 11 auction

These players might remain unsold in the upcoming season because of their poor performance in the PKL 10.

When the Pro Kabaddi League was first announced in 2014, nobody had any idea how the competition would develop. Pro Kabaddi League was an experiment in all of itself as many circumspect how Kabaddi, an Indian sport played in every maidan would gain international attention. But given the simplicity of the game and nature being an action-filled sport, it became an instant hit.

The PKL has reached a new height of professionalism, with teams willing to shell out large sums of money to bring in quality performers. Teams have also started to set aside their emotions and make bold decisions by benching famous players when performances fall short of expectations. Auctions are another platform where we could see it happening and the dynamics associated have made it even more difficult to take risks.

With PKL 11 set to happen in a few months, the Auction might see a few big names not finding a destination to don a PKL jersey. Let’s look at five such stars who might miss out.

1. Rahul Chaudhari

Rahul Chaudhari has hardly made any impact in the last few seasons. Ever since he departed his first franchise, Telugu Titans the performance of the UP Raider has seen a downfall. He moved to Puneri Paltan for the eighth edition and could play only seven games scoring a mere 13 points. During the PKL 10 Auctions, he went unsold earlier only to be brought back by Jaipur. He hardly took the mat scoring just six points from four games. As much as it is hard to say, the fans might not see the first-ever Poster boy of PKL again in the league.

2. Siddharth Desai

U Mumba was a powerhouse when the PKL started as they qualified for the finals of the first three seasons. As other teams started understanding the strategy, they failed to even qualify for the playoffs in the next two seasons. They needed a Herculean effort to qualify and it was Siddharth Desai with a Bahubali effort in his debut season helped them qualify for the playoffs. He continued his form despite moving to Telugu Titans in the next season. But injuries meant that he had to spend most time off the mat.

Haryana spent big bucks in the PKL 10 Auction only to see him warm the bench on most occasions. Teams might think twice about doing what Manpreet did when the next auction happens.

3. Vikash Kandola

Despite making his PKL debut with Dabang Delhi KC in season 4, Vikash Kandola became a star when he moved to the Haryana Steelers in season five. One of the swiftest Raiders, Kandola often caught the defenders off guard with his speed.

When Pawan Sehrawat decided to leave Bengaluru Bulls, their coach Randhir Singh Sehrawat was adamant in getting Vikash Kandola just for that speed. Unfortunately, the left Raider hasn’t been able to keep up the speed as he could muster only 70 points in the 19 games he played in season 10. While he still has age on his side, the Auction dynamics might not favor the Haryana-born guy.

4. Girish Maruti Ernak

One man who does not have the age on his side is Girish Maruti Ernak. The 34-year-old has been part of multiple sides and has contributed immensely to any side he played for. With that faith, the PKL side from his home state U Mumba picked him up in the PKL 10 Auction to form a formidable quartet of himself, Surinder Singh, Rinku, and Mahender Singh. But things didn’t pan out the way they expected as he played only four matches and affected only three tackles in the entire season. He is one of the few defenders who has been playing Pro Kabaddi League since the inaugural edition and we might not see him in PKL 11.

5. Rohit Gulia

When PKL was expanded to 12 teams, many youngsters got opportunities to display their talent on the big stage. Rohit Gulia was one such guy as Gujarat shelled out the maximum money to buy his services in season five. He helped them qualify for the finals for two consecutive seasons. After travelling to a couple of teams, he was brought back by Gujarat Giants with the hope of making a bigger impact with the experience he has gained.

Luck didn’t favor the 24-year-old as he failed to be their primary Raider. With many youngsters like Parteek Dahiya, Sonu Jaglan, and Rakesh doing well he couldn’t seal his place in the starting seven. With many more youngsters in the circuit, don’t be surprised if Rohit doesn’t get a bid.

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