What’s the story?
One of the top draws at this year's Vivo Pro Kabaddi League player auction, Rohit Kumar was one of the most sought after players as soon as his name was announced. A similar frenzy ensued at Rohit’s residence not very far away. The star player said, “I jumped out of my seat when the bidding price reached Rs 81 lakh and I was sold. I couldn’t watch TV after that. Rs 81 lakh is a lot of money.”
“In fact, I didn’t know that Patna had tried to raise that bid. I was already celebrating and found out about it much later. I don’t know how to express my happiness over a phone call. I wish you could see my face. Before yesterday, not just me, all of us had thought that the price of the most expensive player would be somewhere close to Rs 50 or 55 lakh. But I’m now the second-most expensive player in this league,” Rohit said on Tuesday.
The context
There was an air of confusion over his bidding on Monday when Bob Hayton brought his gavel down to sanction the transfer. His former team Bengaluru Bulls had broken the bank to re-secure his services even as the owners of Patna Pirates had launched a last-minute bid to buy the raider. Hayton did not see the Pirates, for whom Rohit played for in season three, raise their paddle as he signalled the player’s sale to the Bulls.
The heart of the matter
Rohit is in sheer disbelief at his own price tag as he looks forward to emerging from his personal tragedy. It has been a whirlwind few months for the man from Nizampur after his wife accused him of harassment in her suicide note as well as audio and video clips left behind.
Rohit had to spend two months in judicial custody before being granted bail in December as the Forensic Science Lab verifies the authenticity of the clips. Rohit later took to Facebook and shared an emotional video where he professed his love for his deceased wife and said that he too did not want to live after she passed away.
What’s next?
Rohit is confident that the upcoming season of the Pro Kabaddi League will see the best of him. Bengaluru Bulls top scorer in 12 of the 14 league matches last season, he vows to show what he is capable of this time.
Author’s take
After a topsy-turvy few months with regards to his personal life, Rohit is all set to put that behind him and concentrate on the challenges that lie ahead. He will no doubt be a man to watch out for Bengaluru Bulls in the PKL this time around.
