Mumbai: The 12 Pro Kabaddi League franchises went toe-to-toe in the PKL Season 11 Player Auction to construct strong teams for the upcoming season. The management of each of the teams battled it out for the most sought-after Kabaddi players, spending a total of INR 33.7 Crores.
Sachin stole the show as he was snapped up for INR 2.15 Crores by the Tamil Thalaivas. The Iranian superstar Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh crossed the 2-crore mark once again after he was acquired by Haryana Steelers for INR 2.07 Crore. Interestingly, he is also the first international player to get more than INR 2 Crore in consecutive years.
But that’s not all, six more players rewrote the record books as they all landed a deal in excess of INR 1 Crore. And that was a significant as this was the first time when the PKL Player Auction produced eight crorepatis.
On Independence Day, at the PKL Season 11 Player Auction, the franchises splurged INR 17.782 crores, whilst on the next day, the total spent stood at INR 16 Crores.
Category C players strike Gold
Ajith V Kumar became the most expensive player in Category C in this year’s Player Auction after he was acquired by Puneri Paltan for INR 66 lakh, meanwhile, Jai Bhagwan was bought by Bengaluru Bulls for INR 63 Lakh.
Category D players in the spotlight
Arjun Rathi emerged as the most expensive player in Category D after he was acquired by Bengal Warriorz for INR 41 Lakh. Furthermore, Mohd. Amaan found a place in the Puneri Paltan team for INR 16.2 lakh and Stuwart Singh was bought for INR 14.2 lakh by U Mumba.
Field Day for Super Fans
In what was yet another first in the history of the PKL, the PKL Season 11 Player Auction opened the doors to 12 Super Fans, who were present at the venue. The fans enjoyed the riveting events of Day 1 with PKL legends Pardeep Narwal (Bengaluru Bulls) and Maninder Singh (Bengal Warriorz). The kabaddi fans were invited to submit a video detailing as to why they are a PKL Super Fan and mention their favourite team. The top 12 fans in the contest were invited for the Auction. The Super Fans watched the auction proceedings in a specially curated fan lounge at the auction venue. Furthermore, they also had a chance to participate in a mock auction and received PKL merchandise.
Speaking on behalf of Mr. Anupam Goswami, Head Sports Leagues, Mashal Sports and League Commissioner, Pro Kabaddi League said, “I would like to thank all the PKL stakeholders for yet another exceptional PKL Player Auction. After witnessing a record eight players cross the 1 crore mark on Day 1, it was remarkable to see Category C players such as Ajith V Kumar and Jai Bhagwan attract strong bidding of over 60 Lakh on Day 2. I am extremely happy to see that all franchises have built well-balanced squads, which promises a highly competitive PKL Season 11.”
Total amount spent by teams on their entire squads
| Sr No. | Teams | Total amount (INR) |
| 1 | Bengal Warriorz | 4.90 Crore |
| 2 | Bengaluru Bulls | 4.94 Crore |
| 3 | Dabang Delhi K.C. | 4.12 Crore |
| 4 | Gujarat Giants | 4.93 Crore |
| 5 | Haryana Steelers | 4.99 Crore |
| 6 | Jaipur Pink Panthers | 4.86 Crore |
| 7 | Patna Pirates | 4.64 Crore |
| 8 | Puneri Paltan | 4.67 Crore |
| 9 | Tamil Thalaivas | 4.96 Crore |
| 10 | Telugu Titans | 4.68 Crore |
| 11 | U Mumba | 4.91 Crore |
| 12 | UP Yoddhas | 4.87 Crore |
