Tennis Premier League Season 5 auction: India's No.1 Sumit Nagal becomes most expensive player

He was signed by the Gujarat Panthers for a whooping Rs 18.5 lakhs.

In a bid to prepare for the Tennis Premier League season 5, eight franchises left no stones unturned during the auction at the Sahara Star Hotel in Mumbai. They meticulously constructed competitive rosters featuring a captivating blend of global and Indian talents.

Sumit Nagal, the current top-ranked men's singles player in the All-India Tennis Association (AITA), took center stage as the marquee player for Tennis Premier League season 5 In a highly competitive auction, Nagal emerged as the most expensive acquisition, secured by the Ramku Patgir-owned Gujarat Panthers for a whopping ₹18.5 lakhs.

This significant bidding coup was orchestrated by the Panthers' celebrity ambassador, Arjun Kapoor. Additionally, the Gujarat Panthers strengthened their squad by recruiting Karman Kaur Thandi, boasting three ITF singles titles, and the promising Indian talent, Mukund Sasikumar.

Hyderabad Strikers, the defending champions led by the elegant Rakul Preet Singh, displayed exceptional astuteness during the auction. They secured Ellen Perez for ₹14 lakhs, a player with an impressive record of five WTA Tour doubles titles and multiple ITF titles.

Perez's experience will be invaluable as Hyderabad Strikers aim for their third consecutive TPL title. The team also retained the services of Nikki Poonacha and added Saketh Myneni, a recipient of the prestigious Arjuna Award in 2017 and a Davis Cup representative for India.

The Bengaluru SG Mavericks, guided by Indian tennis icon Sania Mirza and owner Rohan Gupta, swiftly finalized their Season 5 roster. They acquired Arina Rodionova, the Russian-Australian sensation, for ₹17.1 lakhs, making her the most expensive female player in the auction. The Mavericks also secured the services of Ramkumar Ramanathan and Vishnu Vardhan, ensuring a well-balanced squad.

Sania Mirza, discussing the Bengaluru SG Mavericks' composition, stated, "We were determined to pick Arina Rodionova in the Season 5 auction, knowing her impressive talents. Additionally, with Ramkumar Ramanathan and Vishnu Vardhan, I think we have a fairly balanced squad and are confident of going all out for the title this time."

The Pune Jaguars, led by celebrity ambassador Sonali Bendre and owned by Punit Balan, made shrewd choices during the auction. They acquired Lukas Rosol, fending off competition from Delhi Binny's Brigade. Rutuja Bhosale, a former Indian number one in the WTA doubles rankings, and Manish Sureshkumar were also valuable additions to the Jaguars' roster.

Delhi Binny's Brigade, with ambassador Malaika Arora and owner Sneh Patel in attendance, crafted a formidable lineup for Season 5. They secured the Austrian No. 1 in men's singles, Dennis Novak, for ₹15.2 lakhs. Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan, known for his doubles prowess, and Vaidehi Chaudhari completed their squad.

Raminder Singh-owned Punjab Tigers, backed by Taapsee Pannu, shifted their strategy to focus on Indian talent. Conny Perrin, an international star from the previous season, was their most expensive acquisition, alongside two promising Indian players, Arjun Khade and Digvijay Pratap Singh.

The Mumbai Leon Army, owned by Shyam Patel and supported by Sonu Sood, assembled an impressive roster for Season 5. They secured Latvian professional tennis player Ernest Gulbis for ₹14 lakhs and added Sowjanya Bavisetti and Vijay Sundar Prashanth to complete their squad.

The Bengal Wizards, owned by Mr. Yatin Gupte and backed by Indian tennis legend Leander Paes, successfully acquired the talented Maria Timofeeva for ₹15.5 lakhs, providing youthful energy to the team. They also picked Sriram Balaji and Anirudh Chandrasekar to strengthen their lineup.

Leander Paes commented, "I am glad that we could pick up the supremely talented Maria Timofeeva, along with Sriram Balaji and Anirudh Chandrasekar, who come in as valuable additions to our team. This year's auction was a memorable one, not just for Bengal Wizards but for the league as a whole."

Co-founder Kunal Thakkur expressed his delight, stating, "The Gujarat Panthers' historic ₹18.5 lakh bid for Sumit Nagal, making him the most expensive Indian player ever, is a testimony to the heights Tennis Premier League has achieved."

Mrunal Jain, Co-founder of TPL, added, "The exhilarating bidding wars and the acquisition of some of the country's best tennis players make this auction a truly memorable one. We look forward to delivering another massive season of Tennis Premier League."

WOMEN
	Country	Player name	Age	Team
1	Russia	Maria Timofeeva	19	Bengal Wizards
2	Australia	Arina Rodionova	33	Bengaluru SG Mavericks
3	Switzerland	Conny Perrin	32	Punjab Tigers
4	Australia	Ellen Perez	27	Hyderabad Strikers
5	India	Karman Kaur Thandi	25	Gujarat Panthers
6	India	Rutuja Bhosale	27	Pune Jaguars
7	India	Sowjanya Bavisetti	29	Mumbai Leon Army
8	India	Vaidehi Chaudhari	23	Delhi Binny’s Brigade
MEN
1	Czech Republic	Lukas Rosol	38	Pune Jaguars
2	Latvia	Ernests Gulbis	35	Mumbai Leon Army
3	India	Sumit Nagal	26	Gujarat Panthers
4	Austria	Dennis Novak	30	Delhi Binny’s Brigade
5	India	Mukund Sasikumar	26	Gujarat Panthers
6	India	Ramkumar Ramanathan	28	Bengaluru SG Mavericks
7	India	Saketh Myneni	35	Hyderabad Strikers
8	India	Sriram Balaji	33	Bengal Wizards
9	India	Jeevan Neduncheziyan	34	Delhi Binny’s Brigade
10	India	Arjun Kadhe	29	Punjab Tigers
11	India	Niki Poonacha	28	Hyderabad Strikers
12	India	Anirudh Chandrasekar	25	Bengal Wizards
13	India	Vijay Sundar Prashanth	36	Mumbai Leon Army
15	India	Digvijay Pratap Singh	36	Punjab Tigers
16	India	Vishnu Vardhan	36	Bengaluru SG Mavericks
17	India	Manish Sureshkumar	24	Pune Jaguars