PKL 12: Top five players who went for lower auction price than last season

Some expensive players from last season have been bought at cheaper prices this time.

The Pro Kabaddi League season 12 auction (PKL 12) was held on May 31 and June 1 in Mumbai. Over 500 players went under the hammer, as twelve teams looked to build strong squads for the upcoming season.

This was one of the grandest PKL auctions in recent years, as some of the biggest names in Kabaddi, including Naveen Kumar, Arjun Deshwal, Mohammadreza Shadloui, Devank Dalal, among others, were present in the pool.

A total of ten players became crorepatis, crossing the record of eight set in the last season. However, others garnered less interest, especially when compared to the intense bidding they had triggered previously. Players, who previously would earn more than a crore, were now snapped up at the base price.

While some were expected, others were quite surprising. Certain low bids broke the hearts of fans who have been rooting hard for these players for a long time. On that note, let’s take a look at the top five players who went for a lower auction price than last season.

5. Ajinkya Pawar (Dabang Delhi)

Ajinkya Pawar had impressed everyone with his quick feet in PKL 10. Having put on some impressive performances over the years, there was frantic bidding for him in the next auction as the Bengaluru Bulls snapped him up for Rs. 1.1075 Cr.

However, the raider from Ratnagiri flattered to deceive, scoring just 62 raid points in 17 matches. As a result, the 28-year-old went unsold in the first round of auctions, before being picked up by Dabang Delhi in the accelerated round at his base price of Rs. 13 lakhs.

4. Sachin Tanwar (Puneri Paltan)

Before the eleventh instalment of the competition, Sachin Tanwar had been regarded as one of the most consistent raiders as he had accumulated 170+ raid points in four out of the five seasons before that. Consequently, he was the most expensive player at a sum of Rs. 2.15 Cr.

However, he had a horrendous season, finishing with just 82 raid points in 17 matches. The 25-year-old from Jhunjhunu was again in demand at the PKL 12 auction. However, the sum of Rs. 1.058 Cr that the Puneri Paltan had to pay is less than half of what it earned last time.

3. Maninder Singh (Patna Pirates)

The second most successful raider in PKL history had a poor performance last season. Last season, Maninder Singh played 15 matches and scored just 100 raid points. Injuries and subsequent poor form plagued him. Maninder has been a part of Bengal Warriorz for eight seasons.

Having earned Rs. 1.15 Cr in the auctions for the eleventh edition, the 35-year-old was snapped up at his base price of Rs. 20 lakhs by the Patna Pirates this time. However, Maninder, with 1528 raid points in 158 matches and two PKL titles, would want to prove that there is still some fight left in him.

2. Fazel Atrachali (Dabang Delhi)

Fazel Atrachali, who played for Bengal Warriorz in the eleventh season at a cheap price of Rs 50 lakh, would be feeling hard done that he was picked up at his base price of Rs 30 lakhs by Dabang Delhi in the just-concluded auction.

The 33-year-old Iranian is the most prolific defender and the second-most successful skipper in the league’s history. Even in the previous edition, he had accumulated 59 tackle points in 19 matches. His commanding presence at the left corner, combined with a calm demeanour, would have been an ideal fit for every team.

At his new franchise, the two-time PKL winner would be hungry to add to his tally of 545 tackle points in 188 matches.

1. Pawan Sehrawat (Tamil Thalaivas)

Indian National Team skipper Pawan Sehrawat has been dealing with injury issues in recent times. After being signed by Telugu Titans for Rs 1.725 crore ahead of PKL 11, he played just 13 matches, where he scored 129 raid points. So, it was still a massive surprise to see the lack of interest when the all-rounder’s name came up.

Although several teams later submitted their bids, the Most Valuable Player of the sixth edition was still sold for a modest sum of Rs 59.50 lakh.

The Tamil Thalaivas (who also later signed Arjun Deshwal) would be delighted to have in their ranks the 28-year-old, who has four seasons with 200+ raid points (including two with more than 300 raid points and yet one more with 250+ raid points).

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