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The Pro Kabaddi 2022 auction is set to get underway within 24 hours, and the players, team management, and fans should all be excited to watch the two-day event unfold.
While one aspect of the auction is about teams strengthening their sides by making the right purchases, the players also gain a lot financially.
Over the years, we've seen the PKL churn out some of the sport's biggest superstars. With new talents emerging every season, some of the big names in the league are seeing their stocks fall in value.
Such is the amount of talent on show that there's a chance that some of these big names could go unsold. Let's now look at three such players.
#3 Ravinder Pahal
Considering that he's one of the most decorated defenders in the Pro Kabaddi League, you'd be surprised to know that Ravinder Pahal came close to getting unsold in the PKL 6 auction before Dabang Delhi snapped him up at his base price. He went on to shine in the next two seasons for the side before switching to the Gujarat Giants in PKL 2021.
However, his poor season with the Gujarat Giants combined with the emergence of newer players puts him at risk of being unsold once more. Pahal, who was expected to be the first-choice right corner for Gujarat, could score only 12 tackle points in eight matches, with Hadi Oshtorak taking his place in the side.
While teams could still sign him for his experience and leadership, Pahal has fallen down in the pecking order when it comes to the elite right corners in the league. While you would ultimately expect at least one franchise to take a punt on him, it shouldn't be too much of a surprise Pahal he goes unsold.
#2 Rohit Kumar
The MVP of season 3 of the Pro Kabaddi League, Rohit Kumar is one of the most successful players in the PKL circuit. Having won titles with the Patna Pirates and the Bengaluru Bulls, Rohit Kumar moved to the Telugu Titans in the 2021 edition of the PKL for ₹35 lakhs.
He couldn't make much of an impact for the Titans, scoring only 12 raid points in eight matches. One could argue that his decline started from PKL 7, where he scored only 94 points, compared to his season six total of 162.
Similar to Ravinder Pahal, Rohit Kumar's ability to lead a side could attract some bids from franchises. However, based purely on his recent performances, it would be hard to justify investing in him.
#1 Rahul Chaudhari
The 'Raid Machine' Rahul Chaudhari is among the first names fans associate with the Pro Kabaddi league. One of the game's all-time greats, Rahul was the poster boy of PKL for quite a while. However, following the pandemic break, he has struggled to regain his mojo and failed to make an impact in PKL 8.
Bought by the Puneri Paltan, Rahul could score only 13 raid points in seven matches. He was sparingly used due to the success of young stars Mohit Goyat and Aslam Inamdar.
His value has fallen tremendously when compared to PKL 7. With newer, more exciting names set up for grabs, fans could see Rahul going unsold in this year's auction.
