Mumbai, August 15th 2024: Sachin emerged as the most expensive buy on Day 1 of the Mashal Sports-organized Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 11 Player Auction held in Mumbai on Thursday, 15th August 2024. He was acquired for INR 2.15 Crore by Tamil Thalaivas. Meanwhile, Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh emerged as the most expensive foreign player at the Pro Kabaddi League Player Auction, being bought for a whopping INR 2.07 Crore by Haryana Steelers. He became the first foreign player to be bought for over INR 2 Crore in consecutive Player Auctions.
A total of 20 players were sold to the 12 franchise teams with as many as 3 Final Bid Match (FBM) cards being used on Day 1. Bengal Warriorz, Telugu Titans and Gujarat Giants utilized the FBM card for Maninder Singh, Pawan Sehrawat and Sombir respectively.
PKL stars break record
This Player Auction witnessed a record number of players in the 1 crore club in PKL’s history. Sachin, Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh, Guman Singh, Pawan Sehrawat, Bharat, Maninder Singh, Ajinkya Pawar and Sunil Kumar were part of the 1 crore club in today’s Player Auction. Sunil Kumar, who went to U Mumba for INR 1.015 Crore, became the most expensive Indian defender ever.
The player with the most raid points in the history of PKL – Pardeep Narwal was acquired by Bengaluru Bulls for INR 70 Lakh, meanwhile, the veteran defender Surjeet Singh was bought by Jaipur Pink Panthers for INR 60 Lakh.
Speaking on behalf of Mashal Sports, Mr. Anupam Goswami, League Commissioner, Pro Kabaddi League said, “It was absolutely riveting to watch multiple records being broken in the PKL Season 11 Player Auction. We are filled with pride to see 8 players cross the 1 crore mark today and Sunil become the most expensive Indian defender ever. The exciting buys will continue on day 2 and we are eagerly waiting for the action to unfold.”
When asked about joining Bengaluru Bulls, PKL’s most successful raider Pardeep Narwal said, “It feels really good to go back to the team I started with in my PKL journey. I’m looking forward to playing with the young players in the Bulls side. I am hoping to cross 1800 raid points in my career.”
Meanwhile, Maninder Singh, who went back to Bengal Warriorz for INR 1.15 Crore said, “I am very happy to be back. I will look to perform even better than last season and Bengal Warriorz has always been a home to me. The team is like a family and I have played with them for 6 years so I am very happy to be back.”
Financial Press Release:
17 Crore Plus Spent on Day 1 at the PKL Season 11 Player Auction, Sachin Bags 2.15 Cr Deal
8 out of 20 players Auctioned on Day 1 bagged deals of more than 1 Crore INR, the highest ever at the PKL Player Auction
Mumbai, 15 August, 2024: It was a red-letter day in the world of Kabaddi, as the PKL Season 11 Player Auction saw a few records smashed under the gavel. While Sachin (INR 2.15 Crore) for the Tamil Thalaivas and Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh (INR 2.07 Crore) for the Haryana Steelers bagged the biggest deals on the first day of the PKL Season 11 Player Auction, six more players were handed a deal in excess of INR 1 Crore. By the end of the night, a total of 20 players went under the hammer and a record eight finished as crorepatis.
The 12 franchises at the PKL Season 11 Player Auction together spent a total of INR 17.782 Crores on the opening day. Among the biggest highlights of the day was the high-octane bidding wars for the seasoned pros.
PKL Stars Break Record
Ajinkya Pawar, Bharat, Guman Singh, Maninder Singh, Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh (Defender of the year in Season 10), Pawan Sehrawat, Sachin and Sunil Kumar were part of the 1 crore club in today’s Player Auction. Sunil Kumar, who went to U Mumba for INR 1.015 Crore, became the most expensive Indian defender in the history of the competition, which is set to begin its 11th season.
The player with the most raid points in the history of PKL – Pardeep Narwal was acquired by Bengaluru Bulls for INR 70 Lakh, and the veteran defender Surjeet Singh was snapped up by the Jaipur Pink Panthers for INR 60 Lakh.
Chiyaneh Breaks a Ceiling
The Iranian kabaddi 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. Meanwhile, PKL legend Fazel Atrachali, who has been part of the PKL since Season 2, was signed on by the Bengal Warriorz for INR 50 Lakh.
Speaking on behalf of Mashal Sports, Mr. Anupam Goswami, League Commissioner, Pro Kabaddi League said, “It was absolutely riveting to watch multiple records being broken in the PKL Season 11 Player Auction. We are filled with pride to see 8 players cross the 1 crore mark today and Sunil become the most expensive Indian defender ever. The exciting buys will continue on day 2 and we are eagerly waiting for the action to unfold.”
After the eventful evening, Divyanshu Singh, CEO, Haryana Steelers touched upon their marquee bid on Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh, saying, “We’ve got the best all-rounder in the league and that really makes our team very strong. The coach always says that Kabaddi is won through a strong defense, and we are happy that we’ve been able to get one of the best all-rounders in the league and feels great. He was (in our plans) and the fact that he was the first pick, we were very sure of the limit that we wanted to go for it, and we managed to get him.”
For all the LIVE updates on the PKL Season 11 Player Auction on 16th August, visit the LIVE Auction Centre on prokabaddi.com, the Pro Kabaddi Official App, or follow @prokabaddi on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and X.
——————–
Press Releases for 16th August:
AJITH V KUMAR & JAI BHAGWAN SHINE AMONGST STARS ON DAY 2 AS MULTIPLE RECORDS BREAK IN PKL SEASON 11 AUCTION
Top highlights from the Pro Kabaddi Season 11 Player Auction
118 players sold over the two days of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 11 Player Auction
Eight players crossed the 1 crore mark for the first time in PKL history
Sachin (Tamil Thalaivas – INR 2.15 Crore) emerged as the most expensive player
Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh (Haryana Steelers – INR 2.07) emerged as the most expensive foreign player in PKL Season 11 Player Auction
Sunil Kumar (U Mumba – INR 1.015 Crore) became the most expensive Indian defender ever
Among the Category C players, Ajith V Kumar emerged as the highest bid, attracting an amount of INR 66 Lakh from Puneri Paltan
Among the Category D players, Arjun Rathi emerged as the highest bid, attracting an amount of INR 41 from Bengal Warriorz
Mumbai, August 16th 2024: The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 11 Player Auction was successfully conducted by Mashal Sports in Mumbai from 15-16 August 2024. Sachin, who was acquired by Tamil Thalaivas, emerged as the most expensive buy at the two-day event. He was acquired for INR 2.15 Crore. A total of 118 players were sold to the 12 franchises during the PKL Season 11 Player Auction.
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.
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.”
Star raider of the Player Auction Sachin spoke about being sold to Tamil Thalaivas for INR 2.15 Cr – the highest bid in this year’s Player Auction, “I didn’t expect my bid to be so high. It feels really good to join the Tamil Thalaivas. This is certainly a life-changing moment for me. The team has put faith in my abilities and I’ll certainly give my best in the upcoming season.”
Meanwhile, the Hi-Flyer Pawan Sehrawat, who returned to Telugu Titans for INR 1.725 Crore, said, “I knew that the Telugu Titans would utilize the FBM card for me. I couldn’t carry out the job that I was bought for in the last season, but I’ve received another chance to complete my unfinished business with the franchise. I have worked with Telugu Titans’ new Head Coach Krishna Kumar Hooda before and I had a great experience playing under him. He’s an experienced coach and he knows how to make his raiders perform.”
Financial Press Release:
12 Franchises Break the Bank at the PKL Season 11 Player Auction, More than 30 Crores Spent
118 players sold over the two days of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 11 Player Auction
Mumbai, 16 August, 2024: 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.”
OP 5 Category A players
Name Country Contracted amount Team
Sachin India INR 2.15 Crore Tamil Thalaivas
Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh Iran INR 2.07 Crore Haryana Steelers
Guman Singh India INR 1.97 Crore Gujarat Giants
Pawan Sehrawat India INR 1.72 Crore Telugu Titans
Maninder Singh India INR 1.15 Crore Bengal Warriorz
TOP 5 Category B players
Name Position Contracted amount Team
Bharat All-Rounder INR 1.30 Crore UP Yoddhas
Ajinkya Pawar Raider INR 1.107 Crore Bengaluru Bulls
Manjeet Raider INR 80 Lakh U Mumba
Pardeep Narwal Raider INR 70 Lakh Bengaluru Bulls
Shubham Shinde Defender INR 70 Lakh Patna Pirates
TOP 5 Category C players
Name Position Contracted amount Team
Ajith V Kumar Raider INR 66 Lakh Puneri Paltan
Jai Bhagwan
Raider INR 63 Lakh Bengaluru Bulls
Gurdeep All-Rounder INR 59 Lakh Patna Pirates
Deepak Rajender Singh Defender INR 50 Lakh Patna Pirates
Bhavani Rajput Raider INR 45 Lakh UP Yoddhas
TOP 5 Category D players
Name
Position Contracted amount Team
Arjun Rathi Raider INR 41 Lakh Bengal Warriorz
Mohd. Amaan Defender INR 16.20 Lakh Puneri Paltan
Stuwart Singh Raider INR 14.20 Lakh U Mumba
Pravinder Raider INR 13 Lakh Patna Pirates
K. Dharanidharan Raider INR 13 Lakh Jaipur Pink Panthers
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
