PKL 12 Auction: Patna Pirates use FBM to bring back Deepak Singh for two seasons

The Patna Pirates secured Deepak Singh’s services at a price of Rs. 86 lakhs.

Patna Pirates used the Final Bid Match (FBM) Card at the Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 (PKL 12) auctions to get Deepak Singh back in their squad, at a price of Rs. 86 lakhs. They also utilised the new rule, meaning that he would remain in their ranks for the upcoming two editions. The right cover has 125 tackle points to his name after 56 matches over four seasons, with a tackle success rate of 43% (eight high 5s).

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, and Mohammadreza Shadloui, going under the hammer.

Patna Pirates had obtained Deepak Singh’s services after some intense bidding in the previous auction. He repaid the faith, accumulating 64 tackle points in 25 outings, at a strike rate of 47% with four high 5s and finished as the best right cover in the edition. He also had 12 raid points to his name, often taking up responsibility in tough situations. The three-time champions punched above their weight to enter the final, before going down to the Haryana Steelers.

The Tamil Thalaivas started off the bidding at Rs. 30 lakhs, and a fierce battle ensued between them and the Titans. The Bengaluru Bulls joined in at Rs. 64 lakhs, as the Thalaivas pulled out. It was eventually the season six champions who had the final bid at Rs. 86 lakhs, only to have their hearts broken by the Pirates.

Deepak Singh’s PKL Journey

Deepak Singh made his debut for the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the eighth instalment of the tournament. He represented the same team for two seasons (it is worth noting that the Panthers clinched the title in PKL 9). However, he didn’t get too many opportunities, scoring 16 tackle points in 14 matches and 2 tackle points in 3 matches, in the two editions.

Deepak Singh got his breakthrough for the Gujarat Giants in the tenth season, as he scored 43 tackle points in 14 matches. The right cover’s quality was on display, as he made full use of his induction into the starting 7 later in the season. The two-time runners-up finished fourth on the league table to enter the playoffs but were hammered by the Steelers in the Eliminator.

While he did perform exceedingly well in the last edition for the Pirates, his high price tag could have been the possible cause for his being released. The team would be happy to have Deepak back in their squad and have signed his services for a period of two years.

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