PKL Auction 2021: 5 players who could be the costliest picks
PKL Auction 2021 is just around the corner as the entire Kabaddi universe awaits the fate of their favorite stars. The 12 franchises released many match-winners ahead of PKL Auction 2021.
While some player releases were expected, many raised fans' eyebrows. All released players will now return to the auction pool and go under the hammer between August 29 and 31. Most of the released players will get a spot in the 'A' category of players.
In season seven, Siddharth Desai was the costliest pick at the auction. The Telugu Titans splurged a whopping ₹1.45 crore to acquire the services of the former U Mumba raider.
Who will be the expensive player of PKL Auction 2021?
With several star players set to be a part of PKL Auction 2021, here's a list of five players who could be the most expensive picks.
1. Siddharth Desai, 441 points in 43 PKL matches
Siddharth Desai has been one of the most impressive players in the last two editions of the Pro Kabaddi League. The running hand touch specialist scored 218 raid points for U Mumba in his debut season.
Surprisingly, the Mumbai-based franchise released him before season seven. The Telugu Titans signed him for ₹1.45 crore in 2019, and he scored 217 raid points for them. Still, Siddharth is back in the auction pool. It won't be a surprise if he goes for a big price at PKL Auction 2021.
2. Pardeep Narwal, 302 raid points in PKL Season 7
Patna Pirates are 3-time PKL winners, and the main reason behind their success was Pardeep Narwal. The 'Record Breaker' of the Pro Kabaddi League scored 1,151 raid points in just five seasons for Patna. He even played the skipper's role.
Since Patna have not been able to reach the final in the last two seasons, the management seems to have given up on Pardeep. Although the Pirates did not retain him, the other 11 teams will probably show a lot of interest in Narwal's services.
He can start an intense bidding war and return with a big deal from PKL Auction 2021.
3. Rishank Devadiga, 624 raid points in 121 PKL matches
UP Yoddha have qualified for the playoffs in every PKL season they have played. One of the key players of their last three campaigns was raider Rishank Devadiga. The Maharashtra-based raider scored more than 350 points for UP Yoddha in the previous three seasons.
Devadiga had multiple injury issues during his stint with UP Yoddha, but the raider has worked on his fitness in the time off the court. He is one of the contenders to emerge as the most expensive player from PKL Auction 2021.
4. Ajay Thakur, 811 points in 115 PKL matches
Ajay Thakur was not at his best in the previous season of the Pro Kabaddi League. But in the two seasons before that, Ajay was the backbone of the Tamil Thalaivas team. He aggregated more than 400 raid points in those two seasons and was responsible for the few wins Tamil Thalaivas recorded.
Thakur was released by the Chennai-based franchise after he scored only 58 points in season seven. Given that Thakur is a former captain of the Indian men's kabaddi team, and he has enormous experience under his belt, quite a few teams will be interested in his services at PKL Auction 2021.
5. Deepak Hooda, 943 points in 123 PKL matches
One of the best all-rounders in PKL history, Deepak Hooda, is another contender to emerge as the most expensive player from PKL Auction 2021. Hooda was a member of the Indian team that won the Kabaddi World Cup in 2016.
He has scored 856 raid points and 87 tackle points in his PKL career so far. Although Deepak had a decent season in 2019, the Jaipur Pink Panthers have released him. Hooda will be in demand because he is a fantastic captaincy option as well.