The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) will be entering its 11th edition. It is the second most followed sport after the Indian Premier League (IPL) in India. Numerous fans support their franchise in the PKL. Over the years support has increased in numbers. The league features some of the greatest kabaddi players from across the world. Foreign players from across the world come and take part in the event.
The trajectory of success shows the infusion of international players who have elevated the league to unprecedented heights. The first day of the auction took place on Thursday. The season 11 auction was a landmark event. A total of 24 players were up for grabs across two categories, with 20 finding new teams by the end of the night. A day of the auction is still left to be done it is already in process.
This year’s auction created new records for upcoming young stars and seasoned veterans alike, with several players getting unprecedented prices. We will take a look at some of the players who got a high price on the first day of the auction.
Here are the top 8 most expensive players in PKL 2024 auction
8. Sunil Kumar
Sunil Kumar will be featuring for the former PKL champions U Mumba. He was sold to the franchise for a price of INR 1.015 crore. Sunil was chased by two franchises U Mumba and Bengaluru Bulls. However, despite his base price being 30 lakhs his price crossed over 1 crore. He has experience in leadership and will bring in all the qualities and might also be named as the captain.
7. Ajinkya Ashok Pawar
Ajinkya Ashok Pawar joined the Bengaluru Bulls after winning a bidding war with U Mumba for INR 1.1075 crore on Thursday. He was with the Tamil Thalaivas for the third straight season. In season 9, Pawar helped them advance to the semifinals before falling to Puneri Paltan.
6. Maninder Singh
Maninder Singh has returned to the Bengal Warriorz. After the franchise used its FBM (Final Bid Match) card to buy back the raider for a price of INR 1.15 crore. In the last edition, Warriorz just missed out on a playoff spot after finishing seventh on the points table. They would love to qualify this time around.
5. Bharat
Bharat was sold to UP Yoddhas for a price of INR 1.30 crore. The all-rounder was the main raider for the Bengaluru Bulls for the past two seasons. However, the side did not use FBM for him. Yoddhas were desperate to sign him for the upcoming season.
4. Pawan Sehrawat
Pawan Sehrawat is one of the most experienced players in PKL history. He will be making a comeback to the Telugu Titans. The Titans bought Pawan for INR 1.725 crore. They used its FBM card. He ended the last season with the third-most raid points (202), but the Titans finished at the bottom of the table.
3. Guman Singh
Gujarat Giants bought Guman Singh for INR 1.97 crore. The bid was between the Gujarat Giants and the UP Yoddhas to acquire Guman’s services. However, Gujarat upped the mark to the amount to which the player was eventually sold to them. The raider is prone to injuries at crucial periods of the PKL season. The raider was injured during the business end of season 10.
2. Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh
Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh became the most expensive foreign player of the PKL season 11. Gujarat Giants and U Mumba indulged in an intense bidding war before last season’s finalist Haryana Steelers purchased Chiyaneh for INR 2.07 crore. The all-rounder will be a crucial member for the Steelers.
1. Sachin Tanwar
Sachin Tanwar became the second most expensive Indian player in Pro Kabaddi history. After fetching ₹2.15 crore from Tamil Thalaivas, setting a new benchmark for Indian kabaddi players. Sachin will be a crucial member of the Thalaivas for the forthcoming season.
