PKL 12 Auction: Five big things you must know about

Many big names will go under the hammer in PKL 12.

The Pro Kabaddi League season 12 auction (PKL 12) will take place on May 31 and June 1 in Mumbai. More than 500 players will go under the hammer, as twelve teams battle it out to build strong squads for the upcoming edition of the league.

A total of 83 players have been retained ahead of the event. These include 25 Elite Retained Players (ERP), 23 Retained Young Players (RYP), and 35 New Young Players (NYP). This means that a maximum of 217 spots (since a team cannot have more than 25 players) will be filled in two days.

Also Read: PKL 12: Top five players who might fetch big deal in auction

Several superstars will be up for grabs. These include the best raider and defender from the previous season, as well as the most prolific ones in the history of the league. Before you get seated for the intense bidding war, here are the top five big things you must know about the PKL 12 auction.

Who could be the most expensive player?

Several marquee names are going under the hammer, but it could be Devank Dalal who ends up as the most expensive player at the PKL 12 auction. He set the mat on fire in the previous edition, finishing as the best raider by far. He secured a total of 301 raid points at a strike rate of 70.65%, with 18 super 10s.

Devank was the X-factor in the Patna Pirates‘ journey to the final, with the side finishing with the highest number of raid points. Tall, powerful, and fast, he has all the aspects of an ideal raider. The three-time champions will try their best to bring him back, but they will face stiff competition from others.

Remaining Purse of all teams:

Team	Purse Remaining	Slots Available
Bengal Warriorz	₹3.95 Cr	16
Bengaluru Bulls	₹4.12 Cr	17
Dabang Delhi	₹4.56 Cr	21
Gujarat Giants	₹4.08 Cr	20
Haryana Steelers	₹2.46 Cr	15
Jaipur Pink Panthers	₹3.30 Cr	15
Patna Pirates	₹3.55 Cr	14
Puneri Paltan	₹2.49 Cr	14
Tamil Thalaivas	₹2.55 Cr	11
Telugu Titans	₹3.62 Cr	15
U Mumba	₹2.31 Cr	15
UP Yoddhas	₹1.86 Cr	12

Dabang Delhi have the highest purse remaining, but also have the most work to do, considering they have retained just four players. UP Yoddhas have the lowest budget for the upcoming auction, while Tamil Thalaivas have the least number of available slots.

Where can we see the magic of Shadloui next?

Mohammadreza Shadloui has redefined the meaning of ‘all-rounder’. Since his debut in the eighth season, he has topped the list of most tackle points thrice in four seasons. He is also a handy raider, especially when there are three or fewer opposition players on the mat. He accumulated 82 tackle points and 57 raid points last season (354 tackle points and 94 raid points overall).

In his first season for the Patna Pirates, the side lost by a solitary point in the final. However, he has ended up in the title-winning outfits in the last two editions (Puneri Paltan in PKL 10 and Haryana Steelers in PKL 11). Having got a price of more than Rs. 2 Cr in the two seasons, one waits to see where he goes next, and at what amount.

Who are the big names to keep an eye out for?

This auction is potentially the largest in several years. Most of the household names in the Pro Kabaddi League have been released into the auction pool. Devank and Shadloui, the best raider and defender of the last season, respectively, will be available in the auction.

So will be Pardeep Narwal and Fazel Atrachali, the most prolific raider and defender, respectively, in the history of the league.

World-class raiders like Pawan Sehrawat, Naveen Kumar, Arjun Deshwal, Ashu Malik, and Maninder Singh will be going under the hammer. Top defenders like Ankush Rathee, Yogesh Dahiya, Ankit Jaglan, and Nitin Rawal, too, could be headed to new destinations.

What is the new FBM card rule?

There has been a big change in the Final Bid Match (FBM) rule. When a player who was part of a team in the eleventh edition receives the highest bid from another franchise, the player’s previous team will be asked by the auctioneer if they desire to exercise their FBM.

If they wish to do so, they must immediately raise either the one-season or two-season FBM card; whichever card is raised first will be considered final. If the team exercises the option, the player is awarded to them at the final bid amount. If not, the player will go to the highest bidder.

Previously, by default, usage of the FBM card had meant that the team had secured the services of the player for just one more year, following which the player could be retained or released.

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