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Three days of the much-anticipated PKL Auction 2021 concluded yesterday. The third and final day of the auction witnessed teams filling their gaps and building squads from Categories B, C, and D for the upcoming eighth season of the PKL.
Former U Mumba raider Arjun Deshwal became the third-most expensive player at PKL Auction 2021 when the Jaipur Pink Panthers shelled out a whopping ₹96 lakh for the Services player. Pardeep Narwal to UP Yoddha (₹1.65 crore) and Siddharth Desai to the Telugu Titans through the FBM card (₹1.30 crore) were the top two costliest signings at PKL Auction 2021.
Manjeet Dahiya (₹92 lakh), Sachin Tanwar (₹84 lakh), and Rohit Gulia (₹83 lakh) were some of the names that were shockingly overpaid on the second day of the auction, which was telecast live on the Star Sports Network.
All the teams broke the bank and splurged a total of ₹48.21 crore by the end of PKL Auction 2021 to build their respective squads for the upcoming eighth edition of the PKL. The Telugu Titans and Jaipur Pink Panthers were the busiest bidders among them all.
In this article, we take a look at the three players who were shockingly overpaid from Categories B, C & D at PKL Auction 2021.
#3 Rinku - ₹32 lakh, U Mumba
U Mumba were the quietest franchise in the first two days of auctions. Their only signing was Mohsen Maghsoudlou Jafari from the overseas category, for whom they paid ₹12.80 lakh only.
Following the release of veteran defender Sandeep Narwal, U Mumba were desperate to add someone who could pair with Fazel Atrachali in the corners. Hence, the team bid for an unknown commodity in Rinku, a right corner defender from Category C. U Mumba bought him for a hefty amount of ₹32 lakh on Day 3.
Rinku will be making his PKL debut for U Mumba in the upcoming eighth edition of PKL, where he'll have a burden on his shoulders to support Fazel Atrachali in the defense. As Rinku is an unknown talent who is yet to perform on such a big stage, it seems that U Mumba might have taken a risky call.
#2 Brijendra Singh Chaudhary - ₹55 lakh, Haryana Steelers
The Haryana Steelers made some surprising calls at the PKL Auction 2021. Signing former Gujarat Giants' all-rounder Rohit Gulia for an enormous amount of ₹83 lakh raised a couple of eyebrows on the second day.
The Steelers didn't stop there as they splurged an enormous amount on another all-rounder from Category C - Brijendra Singh Chaudhary. The Rajasthan-based all-rounder had a decent outing in the past two editions of the Senior Nationals. Brijendra was part of the Jaipur Pink Panthers squad back in the sixth season.
However, he didn't get a single game to play in that edition. Brijendra Singh Chaudhary is yet to make his PKL debut. The pressure of the price tag often weighs down heavily on players, and it remains to be seen if Brijendra Chaudhary lives up to the mark in PKL 8.
#1 Arjun Deshwal - ₹96 lakh, Jaipur Pink Panthers
The lanky raider Arjun Deshwal made his PKL debut for U Mumba in Season 6. He didn't get enough chances to play in that edition, but Deshwal impressed everyone the following season with 104 raid points and three Super-10s.
The Services player was expected to earn a decent amount at this year's auction. Jaipur Pink Panthers shelled out a whopping ₹96 lakh for Arjun Deshwal, making him the third-most expensive player overall at the PKL Auction 2021.
The price tag could mean that Arjun Deshwal will be under the scanner, and the team management will expect him to do well in the upcoming edition. Arjun is yet to showcase his true potential in the Pro Kabaddi League. Hence, he could be considered an overpaid purchase for the Jaipur-based franchise ahead of PKL Season 8.
