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The auctions ahead of Season 7 of the Vivo Pro Kabaddi witnessed bouts of aggressive bidding with a total of ₹50 crores being spent in an effort to acquire the best-possible combination ahead of the real action which begins later this year.
With massive purses of over ₹4 crores in the kitty, coaches and team owners went after their chosen players with gusto while choosing to retain some.
Telugu Titans acquired Season-6 debutant Siddharth Desai for a whopping ₹1.45 crore while Nitin Tomar will be smiling all the way to the bank after being retained by the Puneri Paltans for ₹1.20 crore.
At the end of the auction, all the teams managed to meet their minimum squad strength of eighteen players, with the bidding taking on a more restrained tone on the second day as compared to the first.
After the one-crore mark was breached on Day 1, Neeraj Kumar became the most expensive player to be picked up on Day 2, with Patna Pirates bagging the defender for a price of 44.75 lakhs.
We take a look at the 5 teams who ended up spending more than their rivals in order to knit together a winning unit.
#5 Patna Pirates (₹269.75 lakhs)
Three-time PKL title-holders Patna Pirates did not believe in holding back, with an aim of getting back to winning ways, after being unable to defend their crown the last time around.
Two overseas raiders - Korean Jang Kun Lee, who was bought for a price for ₹40 lakhs and Iran's Asian Games stalwart Mohammad Maghsoudlou whose services were acquired for a sum of ₹35 lakhs, will seek to get the glory days back for the Pirates.
Surender Nada may prove to be a smart buy, as the left-corner defender will use his experience to assist Neeraj Kumar, who did surprise a few after being picked up for ₹44.75 lakhs.
#4 UP Yoddha (₹309.25 lakhs)
The Uttar Pradesh franchise were late entrants - having made their Pro Kabaddi League debut in Season 5, but made an impact right away by qualifying for the playoffs. The Yoddhas made it to the playoff stage last season as well, and will be looking to Rishank Devadiga, Monu Goyat, and Shrikanth Jadhav to spearhead their campaign in Season 7.
Monu Goyat who made it past the ₹1.5 crore-mark last season was picked up by the Yoddhas for 93 lakhs, while Shrikanth Jadhav and Rishank Devadiga were bought for 68 lakhs and 61 lakhs respectively.
Iranian Mohsen Maghsoudlou's experience may also prove to be invaluable - the Iranian, coming on board for a price of 21 lakhs. Defender Gulveer Singh was purchased for a price of 10 lakhs while all-rounders Surender Singh and Gurdeep both commanded the same price.
Defenders Nitesh Kumar and Sachin Kumar have been retained and their partnership with Gulveer Singh may prove to be crucial in the long run.
#3 Bengal Warriors (₹319 lakhs)
Bengal Warriors have strengthened their unit by getting two Iranians on-board. Defender Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh will join the Warriors thanks to a purchase amounting to ₹77.75 lakhs while all-rounder Mohammad Taghi was picked up for a price of ₹15.5 lakhs.
Raider Sukesh Hegde who cost the Warriors ₹20 lakhs will be instrumental for the Kolkata-based franchise in the upcoming season, while Jeeva Kumar who was bought for a price of ₹31 lakhs will help to fortify the defense.
Bengal Warriors have been a side that has risen consistently - albeit slowly, with every season, and will hope that their acquisitions which amounted to approximately 320 lakhs will help them scale the summit in the forthcoming edition of the League.
Rakesh Narwal, who the Warriors spent ₹16.25 lakhs on, will help build an aggressive raiding unit alongside Hegde, while Rinku Narwal who was bought for ₹20 lakhs will play a key role in defence.
#2 Telugu Titans (₹352 lakhs)
The Titans had set their sights on the newest sensation in the circuit and went out of their way to bag the services of Siddharth Desai. The raider who played a stellar role for U Mumba last season made headlines after being netted for a whopping 145 lakhs.
Vishal Bhardwaj was re-signed for 60 lakhs while fellow-defender Abozar Mighani of Iran made it to the squad for 75 lakhs.
The massive amount spent on the chosen few was obviously part of a well-thought-out strategy devised by the think-tank who will be hoping that the highly-fancied side lives up to their expectations, and delivers for their never-say-die fans.
It may well be a case of one star replacing the other, as the Titans let go off Rahul Chaudhari who was the face of the franchise ever since it's inception, in order to induct Siddharth Desai Abozar Mighani and Farhad Milaghardan will have a huge role to play if the Titans are to go all the way in Season 7.
#1 Puneri Paltan (₹395.45 lakhs)
Nitin Tomar's ₹120 lakh bid was one of the talking points of the Pro Kabaddi League Auction with the Pune-based franchise deciding to overhaul the unit in order to start afresh. Assisting Tomar in the raiding department will be Darshan Kadian and Pawan Kumar who cost the Paltan ₹20 lakhs each.
Patna Pirates raider Manjeet, however, ensured that he got a great deal when the raider was picked by the Pune side for ₹63 lakhs - a good 200% increase from last season when the Pirates had bagged him for a sum of ₹20.4 lakhs.
Girish Ernak's purchase, for a sum of ₹33 lakhs, will add teeth to the defence - as will the ₹56 lakhs spent on Surjeet Singh.
Not getting past the playoffs, in spite of encouraging performances on the mat have disappointed the Paltan's fans in the past, and the management will be hoping for a turnaround when the action begins this season.
