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The opening day of the auctions ahead of the seventh edition of the Pro Kabaddi League witnessed yet another landmark as Siddharth Desai and Nitin Tomar claimed the top honours with deals in excess of ₹1 Crore.
With big names such as Rahul Chaudhari, Monu Goyat and Rishank Devadiga forced to settle for a lesser pay from the previous season, the opening session of the day also featured the likes of Iranians Mohammad Nabibakhsh (Bengal Warriors) and Abozar Mighani (Telugu Titans) earning massive contracts.
However, on a day when the franchises splurged money on some big names, stalwarts such as Girish Ernak (₹33 lakh) and Jaideep (₹35 lakh) could be considered a steal with their proven credentials from last season bound to hold them in good stead for the season ahead.
At the end of an exciting opening day, here we take a look at the five costliest buys from the proceedings of Day 1.
#5 Sandeep Narwal - ₹89 lakhs (U Mumba)
The burly right-corner defender attracted a number of bidders as he was the second player to be auctioned from the set. With 66 points from 18 games, Sandeep Narwal was not in the best of form during season six, but for U Mumba, it was the experience that mattered more.
Gujarat Fortunegiants started off the bidding for Narwal, until U Mumba jumped in with a couple of bids. U Mumba then raised the bid to ₹50 lakh as they beat a couple of challenges from Bengaluru Bulls and Dabang Delhi.
The Bengaluru Bulls then pulled out that left U Mumba locked in with the Dabang Delhi but in the end, the Ronnie Screwvala-led side had the final laugh as they signed the all-rounder for a sum of ₹89 lakh.
With Fazel Athrachali on the left corner and Sandeep Narwal on the right corner, U Mumba's defense will certainly wear a dominating look in the seventh season.
#4 Monu Goyat - ₹93 lakh (UP Yoddha)
Pro Kabaddi League's most expensive player from season six was forced to settle for a pay cut as the talented raider was procured by the UP Yoddha for ₹93 lakh, a steep fall from his price of ₹151 lakh from the previous season.
The Fortunegiants yet again started the bidding for Goyat with a raise of ₹50 lakh and with the UP Yoddha keen on signing Goyat, the Fortunegiants had the lead bid at ₹60 lakh. However, with the Yoddha claiming a ₹75 lakh bid, the Fortunegiants backed out as the Puneri Paltan were in the race at ₹80 lakh.
Yet, it was a strategy that fell in place for the Yoddha as they signed Goyat for the final price of ₹93 lakh and given his credentials, one that the Yoddha will hope can lead them to a title.
#3 Rahul Chaudhari - ₹94 lakh (Tamil Thalaivas)
The 'Poster Boy' of Indian kabaddi had a lacklustre season during the previous season that seemed to have an effect on his price in the auction as he was purchased for just ₹94 lakh, by no means a small amount but a fall from his demand of ₹129 lakh from last season.
However, with the ace raider proving to be a game changer at various moments during the history of the league, Rahul Chaudhari will look to form a potent partnership with Ajay Thakur at the Tamil Thalaivas.
With 876 points from 100 matches, Rahul Chaudhari has a plethora of records under his name and with the talented raider switching teams for the first time in seven seasons, it remains to see how much of an impact he has while donning the Thalaivas' colours.
#2 Nitin Tomar - ₹120 lakh (Puneri Paltan)
One of the most talented raiders in the history of the Pro Kabaddi League, Nitin Tomar became the only player to earn a pay packet greater than the ₹1 Crore mark in two consecutive seasons when he was re-signed by the Puneri Paltan in this auction.
Hit by an injury that forced Tomar to sit out a majority of the previous season, there was speculation in the air that suggested that Tomar would miss out on a big deal but all the rumors were quelled by an enthusiastic Puneri Paltan management which exercised their 'Final Bid Match' card to buy back their talismanic raider at four times his base price.
With 102 points from 11 matches, Tomar was in top nick until the injury hampered his participation in the competition and with the ace raider fit and raring to go, Pune's purchase might just prove to be a masterstroke this season.
#1 Siddharth Desai - ₹145 lakh (Telugu Titans)
Making his debut with U Mumba in the season six of the Pro Kabaddi League, Siddharth Desai stamped a wave of authority in the previous season with 221 points from 21 matches and was one of the highlights in U Mumba's campaign.
Ahead of the auctions, Siddharth Desai was making all the right headlines as he was labelled as the 'hottest property' in the lead-up to the auctions and given the Telugu Titans' strategy to make a straight swap between Rahul Chaudhari and Siddharth Desai, the youngster's efficiency and ability to win games on his own right was out in the open.
Yet, what was a bigger boost to the 27-year old raider's confidence was Telugu Titans' opening bid - ₹1 Crore - as a vociferous round of applause circled around the auction room. With the season fast approaching, the Telugu Titans' faithful will have a tough issue to deal with on their hands - The crowning of a new 'Poster Boy' or a shift in loyalty to the Tamil Thalaivas.
