Pro Kabaddi League 7 auction set to take place in April; season to commence on 19th July
The auction dates for the seventh season of the Pro Kabaddi League has been announced. The players will go under the hammer on April 8 and 9 in Mumbai.
"The auction dates will be April 8 and 9 and it will take place in Mumbai. And just to go on record, we will do (conduct) season 8, 2020, starting in July (next year). It will help everybody," League Commissioner Mr. Anupam Goswami told reporters on Thursday.
Mr. Goswami revealed that the player retention details for the seventh season will be announced by mid-March. He also revealed that Jaipur Pink Panthers will be returning back to their home city in the new edition. Last year, the former PKL champions were forced to play their home matches at Panchkula in Haryana.
The new season of the Pro Kabaddi League is scheduled to start on 19th July 2019, with 12 teams fighting it out for the coveted trophy. The entire schedule for the seventh edition will be announced on a later date.
There have been six seasons of the PKL so far with Jaipur Pink Panthers winning the inaugural edition. Patna Pirates leads the way when it comes to the maximum number of title wins as they were able to complete a hattrick in the three editions held in 2016(January and June) and 2017.
Last season saw the Bengaluru Bulls secure their maiden title with a win over the Gujarat Fortune Giants in the final. The Bengaluru-based outfit's Pawan Kumar Sherawat scooped the Most Valuable Player award as well.
There were many record-breaking amounts that were splashed in last year's auction. Indian raider Monu Goyat was purchased by the Haryana Steelers for a mammoth Rs.1.51 Crores, making him the highest paid player in the tournament's history.
It will be interesting if any team would smash this record in the auctions next month.