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What's the story?
Iran's Fazel Athrachali etched his name in the history books by becoming the first ever Kabaddi player to earn a contract worth Rs 1 crore when he was bought by U Mumba in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 6 auctions on the first day of the two-day auction.
The left corner defender will be rejoining U Mumba, having played for them in the second season of the Pro Kabaddi League and has since then represented the Patna Pirates and most recently the Gujarat Fortunegiants.
In case you didn't know...
The record-bid of Rs 1 crore upstaged the previous highest bid of Rs 93 lakh rupees which was placed by UP Yoddha last season to procure the services of talismanic raider Nitin Tomar.
The Iranian left corner made his PKL debut with U Mumba in the second season for a sum of Rs 4 lakh and won the 'best defender of the season' award for his prolific defending while representing the Patna Pirates in the fourth season of the league.
The heart of the matter
One of the most influential overseas players in the league, Fazel's dominance in PKL did not go unnoticed as Gujarat Fortunegiants, making their debut in season five, opted for the Iranian's services as their priority pick ahead of the season.
Right through the fifth season, Fazel amassed 57 tackle points from 24 matches and built an important association with his compatriot Abozar Mighani on the left corner, a coalition that took Gujarat all the way till the playoffs stage.
In his four seasons so far, Fazel's fearless defending has earned him a total of 154 points from 56 games. On hearing that he was set to join U Mumba yet again, the Iranian said, "I am really happy that I am back to my second home, U Mumba, I have huge respect for the team because it was my first franchise. I am happy for my country Iran that I got the highest bid in the auction."
What's next?
The next round is set to feature the domestic category of players which will feature the likes of Manjeet Chhillar, Rahul Chaudhari etc who are sure to earn big sums of money and are capable of crossing the Rs 1 crore barrier.
Is Fazel Atrachali's price tag of Rs 1 crore justified? Let us know in the comments section whether you think any of the Indian players can cross that mark.
