PKL Season 10: Five most expensive players in Season 10 auction

Pawan Kumar Sehrawat became the costliest player in Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) while Iran’s Fazel Atrachali retained his record for the most expensive defender in the Season 10 Player Auction 

The two-day players’ auction was held on October 9 and 10 in Mumbai. 

India’s Pawan Sehrawat smashed his own record after he was bought by Telugu Titans for INR 2.605 crore on Monday. The star raider had become the costliest buy when he was acquired by Tamil Thalaivas for INR 2.26 crore ahead of Season 9, however, his move to the Titans saw him better his own record.

Meanwhile, Fazel Atrachali continued to be the most sought-after defender after the Iranian was bought by Gujarat Giants for INR 1.60 crore. Fazel Atrachali, who made his PKL debut in Season 2, was previously bought by Puneri Paltan for INR 1.38 crore in the Season 9 PKL Auction. 

Another Iranian kabaddi player, Mohammadreza Chiyaneh became the most expensive foreigner at the PKL Auction after he went to Puneri Paltan for INR 2.35 crore. Maninder Singh returned to Bengal Warriors for INR 2.12 crore. 

Meanwhile, Siddharth Desai, who had previously represented U Mumba and Telugu Titans in the last editions of PKL, was bought by Haryana Steelers for INR 1 crore.

A total of 118 players were sold to the 12 franchises during the Player Auction.

Here’s a look at Pro Kabaddi’s most expensive players after the Season 10 PKL Player Auction.

Most expensive players at Pro Kabaddi Season 10 Auction

Pawan Kumar Sehrawat to Telugu Titans - INR 2.605 crore

India’s star raider Pawan Sehrawat once again took the crown of being the most expensive player in PKL history after receiving the highest bid in the Season 10 Auction. 

Pawan Sherawat, who first featured in the third season of Pro Kabaddi League, has played a total of 105 matches since his debut for Bengaluru Bulls. 

Overall, he has earned 1037 points - 987 of which are raid points. Nicknamed the Hi-Flyer, Pawan Sherawat has a successful raid percentage of 52. Pawan Sherawat played a crucial role in Bengaluru Bulls’ title win in the sixth season where he was also crowned the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) having notched up 282 points over the course of the campaign.

Mohammadreza Chiyaneh to Puneri Paltan - INR 2.35 crore

Mohammadreza Chiyaneh of Iran saw his stocks rise exponentially ahead of the PKL Season 10 and became the second-most expensive player in the recently concluded auction. The all-rounder has made a total of 286 tackles with a success rate of 56 per cent. 

He holds the record for the most tackle points in a single PKL match and will be seen donning Puneri Paltan colours in the upcoming season. Overall, the former Patna Pirates player Mohammadreza Ciyaneh has earned a total of 183 points in his PKL career so far.

Maninder Singh to Bengal Warriors - INR 2.12 crore    

The ever-consistent Maninder Singh’s raiding and leadership abilities were a few of the key aspects that convinced Bengal Warriors to retain the Indian player’s services at the PKL Season 10 Player Auction. 

Second in the all-time leaderboard for raid points with 1231 raid points to his name, Maninder won the PKL crown in the inaugural edition of the league with Jaipur Pink Panthers in 2014 and followed it up with another title triumph with the Warriors in Season 7. 

Fazel Atrachali to Gujarat Giants - INR 1.60 crore

Fazel Atrachali is one of the top defenders in PKL. The Iranian kabaddi player broke his own record of being one of the highest-paid defenders in the league when Gujarat Giants shelled out INR 1.60 crore in the Season 10 auction. 

The defender who plays in the left corner has amassed 424 tackle points, making him the best-tackling defender in league history. Fazel Atrachali was named the league’s Best Defender in Season 4 and Season 7 and has also won the PKL title with Patna Pirates in the past.   

Siddharth Desai to Haryana Steelers - INR 1 crore

Siddharth Desai was bought by Haryana Steelers for INR 1 crore at the Season 10 Player Auction. It was the second time the raider made it to the crore club. Earlier, Siddharth Desai was bought by Telugu Titans for INR 1.45 crore ahead of Season 7. 

The kabaddi player from Maharashtra, who made his debut for U Mumba in the PKL Season 6, has earned a total of 620 points - out of which 611 are raid points. He has a successful raid percentage of 52 and will be Haryana Steelers’ lead raider in Season 10 of PKL.

Photo credit: Alamy