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The Pro Kabaddi Auction 2019 got underway on the opening day of the two-day auction with some high profile kabaddi stars going under the hammer as close to ₹42.86 Crore rupees was spent by the twelve franchises to procure the services of 89 players across categories.
Siddharth Desai earned the top honors as he bagged a massive contract worth ₹1.45 Crore as he was snapped up by the Telugu Titans while the Puneri Paltan retained faith in their talismanic raider Nitin Tomar as they shelled out ₹1.20 Crore for the raider.
Rahul Chaudhari and Monu Goyat saw a steep reduction in their salary from last season as they had to settle with contracts worth ₹94 lakh and ₹93 lakh respectively while Rishank Devadiga, the other member of last season's 'Crorepati' club earned a little more than half his pay from last season as he was re-procured by UP Yoddha for ₹61 lakh.
However, a couple of key players such as Ravinder Pahal and Mahender Singh earned some extra bucks, courtesy of their tremendous show last season. Here are five such players, who earned a much bigger contract when compared to last season's auctions.
#5 Sunil Siddhgavali - (₹8 lakh to ₹20 lakh)
Playing for the Jaipur Pink Panthers last season, Sunil Siddhgavali was in excellent touch as the burly defender made some fearless tackles and demonstrated his skill on the mat as he picked up 38 points from 16 matches.
Making his debut with the Jaipur Pink Panthers during season five, Siddhgavali was not presented with too many chances but that saw a quick turnaround in the previous season as Siddhgavali earned a start in most matches after being picked for just ₹8 lakh in the auction.
With four 'High-5s' from season six, including an eight-point effort against the Tamil Thalaivas, Siddhgavali's form was imperative for the Pink Panthers and it comes as no surprise that the franchise opted to procure back his services for 2.5 times his price from the sixth season.
#4 Rohit Baliyan - (₹12 lakh to ₹35 lakh)
Turning out for U Mumba in season six of the Pro Kabaddi League, Rohit Baliyan played the supporting raider's role to fine effect for the team as he notched up 108 points from 19 matches and finished as the second-best raider behind Siddharth Desai.
With buckets of experience having played five seasons of the league, Rohit Baliyan added an extra dimension to U Mumba's offensive strategies and played a massive role in keeping the scoreboard ticking at times when even Siddharth Desai failed to have a good run on a particular day.
One of the most technically-sound raiders, Baliyan's ability to turn at pace and also produce the sudden kick on the defenders and catch them unaware is certain to come to the party as he will yet again turn out for U Mumba, albeit this time he could don the lead raider's role in the absence of Siddharth Desai.
#3 Ravinder Pahal - (₹20 lakh to ₹61 lakh)
One of the best right-corner defenders in the sport, Ravinder Pahal has made a mark in the league with his vicious ankle holds and fearless defending that has fetched him 277 points from 89 matches, including a stellar season six with Dabang Delhi where he notched up 59 points from 22 matches.
However, what was surprising was the fact that Ravinder Pahal went unsold in the first round of the auctions last season and it was only in the 'unsold players' list that Pahal featured in the end, as Dabang Delhi made a bid for the defender and secured him for his base price of ₹20 lakh.
Unyielding to his low pay, Pahal pulled out some jaw-dropping tackles and led the way for Delhi in season six as he picked up four 'High-5s' from the season and hence, is no surprise that the franchise exercised their 'FBM' card to re-sign Pahal for ₹61 lakh, 3.05 times his cost price from last season.
#2 Manjeet - (₹20.4 lakh to ₹65 lakh)
The youngster looked in solid form for the Patna Pirates in the last season and playing his debut season, showed no signs of nerves as he contributed on both the raiding and defensive front to collect 102 points from 22 matches.
Gifted with a tall frame that Manjeet used to good effect, often reaching out to catch the best of defenders off-guard, the 22-year old featured in the team as the supporting raider all throughout but made optimum use of the chances handed over to him as he even went on to pick up his maiden 'Super-10' against the Bengaluru Bulls.
With the youngster proving his skills on the mat, it came as no surprise that there was a heated battle to sign the lanky youngster, as the Puneri Paltan swooped in with the decisive bid and signed him up for a commendable sum of ₹65 lakh, in the end, 3.18 times his price from last season.
#1 Siddharth Desai - (₹36 lakh to ₹145 lakh)
One of the major highlights from season six of the Pro Kabaddi League, Siddharth Desai was in unparalleled form as he scored 221 points from 21 matches and even earned the record for the fastest player to reach 50 points and 200 points in the PKL.
With a long reach and an ability to crank up the pace on the mat, Desai ran through the opposition defense like a hot knife through butter and also notched up a total of 12 'Super-10s' at the end of the season, highlighting his domination with U Mumba.
Ahead of the auctions, U Mumba sprang up a surprise by letting go of Desai and as expected, Desai claimed the top honors as the Telugu Titans seemed firm on their decision to replace Rahul Chaudhari with Siddharth Desai, as they started off the bidding at ₹1 Crore for Desai.
In the end, the Titans turned away a series of bids from the Puneri Paltan and Tamil Thalaivas as they landed the decisive ₹145 lakh bid on Desai, a mammoth 4.02 times his price from the season six auctions.
