"We wanted to retain him but he wished to be a part of the auction" - Patna Pirates coach reveals real reason behind not retaining Mohammadreza Shadlu
In a massive revelation coming soon after the retentions for Pro Kabaddi 2023 were announced, a member of the Patna Pirates coaching staff has divulged the true reason behind the release of star Iranian defender Mohammadreza Chiyaneh Shadlu.
Shadlu was prolific in the left corner for the Pirates and became a fan favourite in his debut season itself. After finishing as the second-best defender in Season 9, fans and kabaddi pundits were left scratching their heads over his release, especially after his terrific performances in the Asian Kabaddi Championship as skipper of Iran.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, a member of the Patna Pirates coaching staff revealed that despite the team wanting to retain the Iranian youngster, it was Shadlu who requested to be released, wanting to try his luck in the Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction.
"We wanted to retain him but he wished to be a part of the auction. He had seen Fazel go into the auction last year and wanted to be a part of it himself this year. So he requested us to release him as he wanted to be in the auction," a Patna Pirates coach revealed.
"However, we plan to get him back using our (FBM) card" - Patna Pirates keen on continuing association with Mohammadreza Shadlu
The Patna Pirates, however, will definintely be having Mohammadreza Shadlu in their long-term plans, with the all-rounder having shown his skills in all departments of the game.
The coach has informed Sportskeeda that they will be using their Final Bid Match (FBM) Card to reacquire the services of the lanky left corner.
"However, we plan to get him back using our (FBM) card," the coach said.
Patna Pirates have retained Sachin and Neeraj Kumar in the Elite Players category, and Manish in the Young Players category. In terms of Existing NYPs, they have retained T Yuvaraj, Naveen Sharma, Ranjit Naik and Anuj Kumar.
They will be looking to build a title-winning squad around these players at the Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction on September 8 & 9 in Mumbai.