Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction: Costliest playing 7
The Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction took place on October 8 and 9 in Mumbai. The auction purses of all teams were increased to ₹5 crore. Hence, all 12 teams did not mind shelling out more than ₹2 crore for just one player. Three players crossed the ₹2 crore mark at this year's auction.
Two other players touched the ₹1 crore mark while several young talents received an increment in their PKL salaries. In total, the 12 teams had ₹60 crore to form their squads. Here's a look at the costliest playing seven of PKL 2023.
Left Corner - Fazel Atrachali, Gujarat Giants (₹1.6 crore)
Gujarat Giants went all out to sign Iranian defender Fazel Atrachali at the Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction. Atrachali has been the most successful defender in the league's history and also has captaincy experience under his belt.
The Giants signed him for ₹1.6 crore at the auction. It will be interesting to see how he performs in his second stint with the Ahmedabad-based franchise.
Left In - Siddharth Desai, Haryana Steelers (₹1 crore)
Siddharth Desai joined the Haryana Steelers for ₹1 crore at the Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction. Desai has been a game-changer for the Telugu Titans and U Mumba in the past.
Nicknamed 'Bahubali', Desai has the ability to destroy any defense in the world. If he remains injury-free, he can finish among the most successful raiders of the season.
Left Cover - Mohammadreza Shadlu, Puneri Paltan (₹2.35 crore)
Mohammadreza Shadlu became the most expensive overseas signing in PKL history last week after Puneri Paltan signed the Iranian all-rounder for a whopping ₹2.35 crore.
Shadlu has been a reliable defender and a match-winning raider for his team. He generally plays left corner but with Fazel Atrachali present in the lineup, Shadlu gets the left cover position.
Center - Maninder Singh, Bengal Warriors (₹2.12 crore)
Bengal Warriors re-signed their captain Maninder Singh for ₹2.12 crore by using the FBM card. Singh was one of the three players to earn a deal worth more than ₹2 crore.
He earned 240 points in 21 matches last season for the Warriors. The team owners will hope that the star raider continues his top form.
Right Cover - Amirhossein Bastami, Tamil Thalaivas (₹30 lakh)
Most of the teams opted to retain their main defenders, which is why there were not too many bidding wars for the defenders. The most expensive right cover defender at the Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction was Iran's Amirhossein Bastami.
Amirhossein did not have a great debut season with the Haryana Steelers in the previous PKL, but he impressed the Tamil Thalaivas enough to earn a ₹30 lakh deal.
Right In - Pawan Sehrawat, Telugu Titans (₹2.605 crore)
Pawan Sehrawat made history by becoming the costliest pick at the Pro Kabaddi auction. The Indian captain was signed by the Telugu Titans for a whopping ₹2.605 crore. He became the first player to breach the ₹2.5 crore mark in PKL.
Sehrawat will be keen to repay the team owners' faith by helping the Titans win their maiden championship.
Right Corner - Rahul Sethpal, Haryana Steelers (₹40.7 lakh)
Rahul Sethpal was the most expensive right corner defender at the Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction. The right corner defender moved from U Mumba to Haryana Steelers, with Haryana spending ₹40.7 lakh for his services.
Sethpal has not just been a fantastic defender but also a reliable raider in PKL. He can prove to be an 'X-factor' pick for the Steelers in Pro Kabaddi 2023.