PKL Auction 2021: List of players who can be signed using FBM cards for all 12 teams
PKL Auction 2021 is right around the corner as the three-day event begins tomorrow and will continue until 31st August in Mumbai. All 12 franchises will be aiming to rebuild their squads ahead of the eighth season of the PKL.
The Final Bid Match (FBM) is a card that allows franchises to buy a released player from their previous season at the exact amount that matches the winning bid of the team that raised the paddle last. All the 12 teams can use the cards twice, subject to the number of players retained before the auction.
Players can return to their previous teams without the team requiring them to bid for them in the PKL Auction. With fewer than six players in the Elite Retained Players (ERP) category in each squad this year, all 12 teams are eligible to use their FBM cards twice for PKL Auction 2021.
On that note, let's take a look at the list of players who can be signed up using the FBM cards for all 12 teams at PKL Auction 2021.
List of players who can be signed using FBM cards in PKL 8 auction:
#12 Tamil Thalaivas
Players eligible for FBM: Rahul Chaudhari, Ajay Thakur, Anand, Shabeer Bappu, V Ajith Kumar, Vineet Sharma, Yashwant Bishnoi, Ajeet, Ponparthiban Subramanian, Mohit Chhillar, Arif Robbani, Manjeet Chhillar, Hemant Chauhan, Ran Singh & Victor Obiero
Target Players for FBM: V Ajith Kumar & Victor Obiero
V Ajith Kumar was sensational for Tamil Thalaivas in his debut season. He snapped up 121 raid points and 5 Super-10s and could play a vital role in the offense as a frontline raider.
Meanwhile, Victor Obiero has been sensational on the international circuit for Kenya and has proven his worth as a capable all-rounder in the PKL as well.
#11 Telugu Titans
Players eligible for FBM: Siddharth Desai, Suraj Desai, Amit Kumar, Kamal Singh, Mula Siva Ganesh Reddy, Palle Mallikarjun, Vishal Bhardwaj, Arun, Krushna Madane, Abozar Mohajermighani, Armaan & Farhad Milaghardan
Target players for FBM: Siddharth Desai & Vishal Bhardwaj
Siddharth Desai was the fourth-highest scorer of PKL 7 with 217 raid points and 10 Super-10s. Teams will engage in a bidding war to book Siddharth's services. However, the Telugu Titans could re-sign the talismanic raider to bolster their offense yet again.
Vishal Bhardwaj has been the Telugu Titans' ace in the left corner since PKL 4 with 199 tackle points thus far. His consistent performances and brilliant tackles have proven his worth as the Hyderabad-based franchise will look to get him back on the roster.
#10 Puneri Paltan
Players eligible for FBM: Nitin Tomar, Amit Kumar, Darshan Kadian, Emad Sedaghatnia, Manjeet Dahiya, R Sriram, Sushant Sail, Deepak Yadav, PO Surjeet Singh, Shubham Shinde, Girish Ernak, Amit Kumar, Sagar Krishna & Sandeep
Target players for FBM: PO Surjeet Singh & Manjeet Dahiya
PO Surjeet Singh was the best right-cover defender of PKL 7 with 63 tackle points and seven High-5s. His composed leadership and ability to settle the defense up front could attract Puneri Paltan to regain his services through the FBM card.
Manjeet Dahiya's all-round ability was a highlight for Puneri Paltan last season as the Services player notched up 123 raid points and 28 tackle points. The team might use the FBM card on Manjeet to bring the balance to the unit.
#9 Gujarat Giants
Players eligible for FBM: Abolfazl Maghsodloumahali, Gurvinder Singh, Lalit Chaudhary, More GB, Sachin Tanwar, Sonu Jaglan, Amit Kharb, Ruturaj Koravi, Pankaj, Shazid Hossain, Vinod Kumar & Rohit Gulia
Target players for FBM: Rohit Gulia & Sonu Jaglan
Rohit Gulia led Gujarat Giants single-handedly in PKL 7 after receiving the captaincy mid-season. It wouldn't be a surprise if the Giants retain him through the FBM card, given that the all-rounder scored 142 crucial points for the team.
Sonu Jaglan was a revelation for Gujarat Giants in PKL 7, where he scored 17 points in a match against Telugu Titans single-handedly. The lanky raider was sensational for Services in the 68th Senior Nationals, meaning that the Gujarat Giants can expect more from him this season.
#8 Patna Pirates
Players eligible for FBM: Pardeep Narwal, Ashish, Jang Kun Lee, Mohammad Esmaeil Maghsodlou, Naveen, Purna Singh, Mahendra Choudhary, Jaideep, Amit Kumar, Hadi Oshtorak, Ravinder & Vikas Jaglan
Target players for FBM: Pardeep Narwal & Jaideep
Pardeep Narwal has been the face of the Patna Pirates since Season 3, having scored more than 1,000 raid points for the franchise and winning three consecutive titles.
Last season, he became the only raider to cross the 300-raid point mark twice in the history of the league. Even though Pardeep could become the costliest player at PKL Auction 2021, Patna Pirates won't hesitate to retain him through FBM if it fits their budget.
Jaideep played a vital role in Patna's winning campaign for PKL 5. Although the left corner has managed to score 50+ tackle points in the following seasons each, Patna might use the FBM card on Jaideep based on his experience.
#7 Jaipur Pink Panthers
Players eligible for FBM: Ajinkya Pawar, Deepak Narwal, Guman Singh, Lokesh Kaushik, Milinda Chaturanga, Nilesh Salunke, Karamvir, Sandeep Dhull, Sunil Siddhgavali, Deepak Niwas Hooda, Dong Gyu Kim & Santhapanaselvam
Target players for FBM: Sandeep Dhull & Deepak Narwal
Left-corner Sandeep Dhull has scored 140 tackle points in just two seasons - the highest by a Jaipur Pink Panthers defender in PKL history. In PKL 7, he paired with Amit Hooda and formed a rock-solid corner combination, which the Pink Panthers might look to reunite for the upcoming season.
Indian Railways' Deepak Narwal has proven his worth as someone who can raid in crunch situations. After Deepak Hooda's injury in the Jaipur leg, Narwal stole the show and led as a frontline raider in the last few games. The team can use their FBM card for Deepak to add depth to their offensive unit.