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Pro Kabaddi Season 8 officially kicks off at the first juncture, with the PKL 2021 Auction set to be held later this month. All 12 PKL franchises have announced their list of retained players over the last week ahead of the auction.
The teams have managed to hold on to a total of 59 players who will be part of their respective squads for another season. Ahead of the PKL 2021 Auction, 22 players are from the Elite Retained Players category and 6 are from the Retained Young Players. The remaining 31 players are from the New Young Players category who will play their second season with their franchises.
With a large number of players released by all franchises, a plethora of talented players will be up for grabs at the PKL 2021 Auction. The players that will go under the hammer are divided into three categories - A, B and C with base prices of 30 Lakhs, 20 Lakhs and 10 Lakhs respectively.
Most PKL franchises have one or two top raiders in their ranks who form the core of their attacking unit. However, they always load their roster with a couple of handy raiders who act as the third or supporting raider. These players are under-rated players who are usually available at a budget cost but make a good impact on the mat for the team.
We take a look at five such 'budget picks' who will be part of the bidding war at the PKL 2021 Auction.
#5 K Prapanjan
A crucial part of the PKL Season 7 winning side Bengal Warriors, K Prapanjan kicks off our list for some of the best 'under the radar' raider picks available in the PKL 2021 Auction. Alongside the Warriors' stalwart Maninder Singh and Iranian import Esmael Nabibaksh, Prapanjan formed a competent raiding trio.
The lanky raider from Tamil Nadu began his PKL journey with U Mumba but was sparingly used by the former PKL champions. He had another quiet season with the Telugu Titans before finally finding his footing for his home state franchise Tamil Thalaivas. With Ajay Thakur, he formed a solid partnership using his length and agility well enough to score quick touch points.
Over the course of his PKL career so far, he has featured in 83 matches and scored 366 raid points with 10 Super Raids and averages a healthy 4.4 raid points per match. Prapanjan will be a raider that will surely be sought after by franchises that wish to add a stealthy raider to their core.
#4 Chandran Ranjit
Chandran Ranjit was one of the big surprise packages last season for the Dabang Delhi KC side that raced all the way to the PKL Season 7 final. Along with the feisty Naveen Kumar, Ranjit formed a strong partnership in the raiding department for the Delhi franchise.
Ranjit started out way back in the inaugural season of the PKL with the Telugu Titans franchise as a young raider. He did not get much mat time but continued to grind his way. After a short stint with the Gujarat Fortunegiants, he was signed by the Dabang Delhi franchise for PKL Season 6. Over the past two years, he has emerged as one of the best supporting raiders for the Delhi franchise, contributing with handy points. His Super Raid against the Jaipur Pink Panthers last season was the turning point in their key win on home turf.
#3 Arjun Deshwal
U Mumba keep on unearthing new and talented raiders every season with some of the top talents emerging from their ranks like Rishank Devadiga, K Prapanjan, Siddharth Desai and Abhishek Singh to name a few. Arjun Deshwal has managed to make his mark despite just playing in his second season for the U Mumba side.
Along with the dynamic Abhishek Singh, the young Deshwal displayed some courageous raiding displays, becoming their go-to man for the do-or-die raids and had a flare for bonus points as well. He managed to pick up a total of 104 raid points in 19 matches and was a key factor for the team's run all the way to the semis. With a low price tag and huge upside in potential, Deshwal is a solid pick for any side looking to add a young raider to their core.
#2 Prashant Kumar Rai
A veteran of the game, Prashant Kumar Rai has been around since the beginning of the PKL back in 2014 with the Telugu Titans. He did not get much game time due to the presence of Rahul Chaudhari, Deepak Niwas Hooda and Nilesh Salunke on the Titans' roster. He continued to move around in the league, moving to Dabang Delhi KC and UP Yoddha before landing at the Haryana Steelers' camp.
With his large frame and his innate ability to grab bonus points almost at will, he established himself as a consistent raider for the Steelers. He has picked up a total of 403 raid points in 97 matches with 12 Super 10s and nine Super Raids. Any team looking to add an established support raider will keep a keen eye on Prashant Kumar Rai.
#1 Ajith Kumar
One of the biggest emerging talents that came across from the PKL Season 7 was Ajith Kumar from the Tamil Thalaivas franchise. With the experienced duo of Ajay Thakur and Rahul Chaudhari beside him, the youngster from Tamil Nadu managed to make his presence felt on the mat, which is no mean feat.
In his debut season for the Thalaivas, he scored an astounding 105 raid points in 19 matches backed with 5 Super 10s to his name. He became a crowd favorite for his fearless raiding prowess and salvaged a few matches for the struggling Thalaivas. It was a surprise that they did not retain the young prospect. Ajith Kumar will be in good demand for multiple franchises at the PKL 2021 Auction considering his huge potential.
