PKL Auction 2021: 5 players who were shockingly underpaid
PKL Auction 2021 ended on a high note with lots of surprises. There was intense strategizing and some memorable bidding wars. All the 12 teams have filled their respective squads with many talented names for the eighth season of the PKL, slated to take place in December this year.
The 'record-breaker' Pardeep Narwal became the most expensive player in the history of PKL auctions after the UP Yoddha broke the bank and signed him for a whopping ₹1.65 crore for PKL 8. The winning bid by UP Yoddha broke the previous record held by Monu Goyat, who was sold to the Haryana Steelers for ₹1.51 crore.
Fans witnessed another player joining the elite crorepati club this time - Siddharth Sirish Desai. The 'Bahubali' returned to the Telugu Titans after the team exercised their Final Bid Match (FBM) card at ₹1.30 crore on the second day of the auction.
The auction threw up several surprises with teams showing less interest in the many seasoned players who have proven their worth in the PKL time and again. Those players are big-match stars who were expecting a decent paycheck at the PKL Auction 2021.
In this listicle, let's look at those five players who were surprisingly underpaid at PKL Auction 2021.
5 players who were shockingly underpaid at PKL Auction 2021:
#5 Deepak Niwas Hooda - ₹55 lakh, Jaipur Pink Panthers (FBM)
The Jaipur Pink Panthers reaffirmed their faith in last season's captain Deepak Niwas Hooda when they exercised their Final Bid Match card on him at just ₹55 lakh at the PKL Auction 2021.
A household name who has been playing in the league since its inaugural edition, Deepak Niwas Hooda is known as one of the most consistent performers in the PKL. He holds the record for being the best all-rounder for all three teams that he has represented in the PKL thus far.
Deepak is the third-best raider in PKL history with 856 raid points and 31 Super 10s to his name. The 27-year-old all-rounder has also been prominent at the left cover position with 87 tackle points and four High 5s.
Jaipur Pink Panthers made a massive steal as nobody showed interest in Deepak Hooda, who was the first player to go under the hammer from Category A in the auction.
#4 Mahender Singh - ₹50 lakh, Bengaluru Bulls (FBM)
Rock-solid left cover Mahender Singh will be spearheading the defense for the Bangalore-based franchise once again, as the Bengaluru Bulls used their FBM card for the 'Bulldozer' at just ₹50 lak only.
The Himachal Pradesh-born burly defender is known for his hard-hitting dashes and fantastic blocks from the left cover. Mahender Singh has been the most successful defender for the Bengaluru Bulls in history, with 181 tackle points and 12 High-5s to his name.
Ahead of PKL Auction 2021, Bengaluru Bulls released Mahender Singh into the auction pool. Quality defenders were at a premium during the auction. It was evident that the Bengaluru Bulls would have even considered retaining him through the FBM card for a bigger amount if he was to get more bids.
The Bengaluru Bulls getting him for just ₹50 lakh was a solid acquisition for the side at such a bargain price.