Pro Kabaddi League 2024: Dabang Delhi KC announce Siddharth Desai’s exit from PKL 11
Dabang Delhi KC have announced that star raider Siddharth Desai will miss out on Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 2024. Desai, who was signed by Delhi for INR 26 lakh in the PKL 11 auction, was expected to form a formidable raiding trio alongside Naveen Kumar and Ashu Malik, the team's co-captains.
However, on Monday, October 14, the franchise revealed via their social media platforms that Siddharth Desai will not be participating in the upcoming season due to personal reasons.
"We are sad to announce that our Bahubali, Siddharth Desai, has been ruled out of PKL 11 due to personal reasons. Wishing him all the best!" read Dabang Delhi KC's post.
Siddharth Desai’s performance in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL)
Siddharth Desai, popularly known as "Bahubali", burst onto the scene in PKL Season 6 with U Mumba. In his debut season, the tall and powerful raider racked up an impressive 218 raid points in 21 games at a stellar average of 10.38, with 12 Super 10s to his name. His phenomenal debut made him one of the most sought-after raiders in the league.
In Season 7, Desai moved to the Telugu Titans, where he continued his strong performance, scoring 217 raid points in 22 games at an average of 9.86, along with 10 Super 10s. This consistency earned him the nickname Bahubali.
However, his journey hit a roadblock in Season 8, where he was sidelined after just three games due to injury. Despite this setback, he had managed to score 34 raid points in those three appearances, averaging an impressive 11.33 raid points per match. Desai made his comeback in Season 9, where he accumulated 142 raid points in 17 games at an average of 8.35.
In PKL Season 10, Desai was signed by the Haryana Steelers, but his performance fell short of expectations. He could only manage 82 raid points in 17 games, averaging 4.82, which was well below his usual standards. Despite his dip in form, Dabang Delhi KC placed their trust in him for PKL 11, hoping he would reignite his form and complement Naveen and Ashu.
With Desai now ruled out of PKL 11, Dabang Delhi KC will have to rethink their strategy and look for alternatives to fill the void left by one of the league’s most explosive raiders.