PKL 9: Top five big players who went unsold in the auction

These players failed to find favour with the franchises.

Across two days of intensive bidding of the PKL 9 auctions at Mumbai’s Trident Marine Lines, 130 players from a pool of 500 were sold to the twelve teams. Most teams came into the auction looking to fill the gaps, having retained their core players and others came in with plans of a complete reset. Each team must have a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 25, which meant that there were going to be many unsold players.

Despite this, some big and decorated names failed to find a home. Here are five such players who went unsold in the PKL 9 auctions.

5. Hadi Oshtorak

The reliable right corner from Iran has been a constant presence in the PKL, starting off at the Titans and then helping the Pirates to back-to-back victories. After a disappointing couple of seasons with U Mumba and Gujarat Giants, Hadi had a second wind after re-joining the Patna Pirates in Season 7, managing 48 points in 22 matches. Another lacklustre season for Gujarat was the end of the road for the Iranian.

4. Ajay

A right raider who smartly goes about his business under the radar, Ajay has been posting solid numbers ever since his first season with the Pink Panthers. His multi-point raids became a trademark feature, and he led a crop of talented young raiders at Gujarat Giants, imparting his experience. He could have been a good pick as a second raider, but the teams seemed to have looked beyond his capabilities.

3. Prashanth Kumar Rai

The responsibility of selflessly leading a group of well-oiled pirates fell on the shoulders of Prashanth Kumar Rai, who captained the team admirably till the finals. Despite playing as the third raider, Prashanth was effective and mustered 96 points. He previously turned out for the Telugu Titans, Dabang Delhi, Haryana Steelers and UP Yoddha.

2. Rohit Kumar

Fan-favourite Rohit Kumar was a force to be reckoned with during Patna Pirates’ heydays. He also led the Bengaluru Bulls to their first PKL title. His rapidly diminishing returns from the last four seasons (231-171-100-18) speaks volumes of how issues off the mat have impacted a very fine player. Seeing him go unsold was a bitter pill to swallow for the Kabaddi enthusiasts everywhere.

1. Sandeep Narwal

‘The Beast’ has played for five different franchises over the years: Patna Pirates, Telugu Titans, Puneri Paltan and U Mumba. He has been a steady performer, crossing 100 points in the first season and never dipping below 60 since then. After a wane in his raiding abilities, Sandeep was used as a right corner defender, but still posted consistent returns. The only other significant dip during his stint with Dabang Delhi last season was his tackle strike rate, which came down from the low 50s to 40%.

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