PKL 12 Auction: Bengaluru Bulls pick Ankush Rathee at base price

Ankush Rathee was released by the Jaipur Pink Panthers ahead of PKL 12 auction.

Ankush Rathee was snapped at the base price of Rs. 30 lakhs, by the Bengaluru Bulls at the Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 (PKL 12) auction. The left corner has racked up 227 tackle points in 69 games, at a success rate of 58% (twenty high-fives), for the Jaipur Pink Panthers.

The PKL 12 auctions are being held in Mumbai, today and tomorrow. A total of 83 players, which include 25 Elite Retained Players (ERP), 23 Retained Young Players (RYP) and 35 New Young Players (NYP), were retained prior to the event. More than 500 players are set to go under the hammer, with a maximum of 217 available slots. This is unarguably the biggest auction in recent years, with some of the biggest names currently in the world of kabaddi, including Pawan Sehrawat, Naveen Kumar, Arjun Deshwal, Devank Dalal, Mohammadreza Shadloui, going under the hammer.

Ankush Rathee, 24, impressed for the third season running last time, securing 68 tackle points in 23 matches at a strike rate of 57% (three high 5s). The team’s form fluctuated throughout the season though, eventually finishing sixth before being thrashed by the UP Yoddhas in the Eliminator.

Bengaluru Bulls started the bidding at Rs. 30L and contemplated to increase it, but decided against it before the auctioneer brought the hammer down. Much to everyone’s astonishment, the Panthers decided not to exercise the FBM (Final Bid Match) Card.

Ankush Rathee’s PKL Journey

Debuting for the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the ninth instalment of the league, Ankush Rathee set the mat on fire straightaway. He accumulated 89 tackle points in 24 games, finishing as the most prolific defender of the edition. His side’s long wait for a trophy ended, as they topped the table and defeated the Puneri Paltan in the final to clinch their second title.

The lad from Chandigarh continued his run in PKL 10, scoring 70 tackle points in 22 matches. The two-time champions finished second on the table but lost to the Haryana Steelers in the semifinal. Since the left corner has been consistent, it is a surprise that he was released into the auction pool and an even bigger shock that his team didn’t want him back at a miserly price in the auctions.

Ankush would be looking to continue his form, this time for the Bengaluru Bulls, in the upcoming edition.

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