Pro Kabaddi Auction 2018: Top 5 bargain buys from the auction
The VIVO Pro Kabaddi League's auctions ahead of the sixth season slated to start in October later this year came to an end with the twelve franchises picking the best players to fit into their squad from the 422 players who threw their hat in the ring prior of the auctions.
Services raider Monu Goyat was the talk of the town as he emerged as the costliest ever player in the history of the league, after he was snapped up by the Haryana Steelers for a mind-boggling sum of ₹151 lakh rupees.
This also made him the costliest ever non-cricket Indian athlete, overtaking Sunil Chhetri's record signing of ₹1.50 crore in 2016 with Bengaluru FC.
Monu Goyat plied his trade for the Patna Pirates in the fifth season of the lucrative league and was one of the imperative features in Patna's title victory which saw him overtake big names such as Rahul Chaudhari, Nitin Tomar, Deepak Hooda to become the costliest ever player.
While on the other hand, the veterans were in for a shock as the likes of Manjeet Chhillar, Ravinder Pahal had to settle for the base price. Here is a list of five players who were bargain buys, considering their impact in the game.
#5 Sachin Shingade - ₹20 lakh (Haryana Steelers)
One of the most consistent defenders going around in the league, Sachin Shingade's fearless defending has proved to be vital for the teams he has represented in the league, especially the Patna Pirates.
Although the burly defender was not in the best of form in the previous season where he picked only 22 points from 26 matches, the left cover defender's ability to stop the best of raiders in their path will be extremely useful to the Steelers.
Having procured the services of Surender Nada for ₹75 lakh and losing a major chunk of their purse to Monu Goyat, the Steelers needed to bid smart and that is exactly what they managed to do, snapping up Sachin Shingade for just ₹20 lakh, whose partnership with Surender Nada on the left corner and Kuldeep Singh will be vital for the Steelers.