The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 10 Player Auction will take place in Mumbai on October 9-10, as revealed by the organisers, Mashal Sports, last month.
The two-day long auction process is certain to excite kabaddi fans and enthusiasts alike with Day 1 of the Player Auction expected to start at 8:15 PM IST, while bidding for players on Day 2 is set to get underway at 10:00 AM IST.
The PKL Season 10 Player Auction was initially planned for September 8-9 but the change in dates was made in response to a request from the administrator of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India, the officially recognised body for kabaddi in India.
The decision to postpone the auction was made to accommodate the ongoing preparations of the Indian kabaddi team for the Asian Games 2023.
The PKL Season 10 auction will feature a diverse pool of players, including domestic talents, overseas players, and new young players (NYPs).
These players will be categorised into four groups: A, B, C, and D. The base price for Category A players will be set at INR 30 lakh, while Category B players will have a base price of INR 20 lakh. Category C and D players will have base prices of INR 13 lakh and INR 9 lakh, respectively.
Each franchise participating in the PKL Season 10 auction will have a purse of INR 5 crore, marking an increase from the previous salary purse of INR 4.4 crore after three seasons.
The PKL Season 10 Player Pool consists of over 500 hopefuls, including 24 players who were part of the two finalist teams in the Khelo India University Games 2023.
The 12 PKL franchises have already initiated the process of building their squads for PKL Season 10, adhering to the League Player Policy.
In August 2023, the PKL teams exercised their option to retain players from their respective PKL Season 9 squads. The cost of retaining a player will impact the total salary purse of the respective franchise.
Retentions were made across three categories: Elite Retained Players (ERP), Retained Young Players (RYP), and Existing New Young Players (ENYP). A total of 84 players were retained, with 22 falling under the ERP category, 24 in the RYP category, and 38 in the ENYP category.
Some star players who were not retained, including prominent names like Pawan Sehrawat, Vikash Kandola, and Iranian defender Fazel Atrachali, will be up for bidding at the PKL Season 10 Player Auction.
Where to watch Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 10 Player Auction live in India?
Live telecast of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 10 Player Auction will be available on the Star Sports Network channels in India.
Live streaming of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 10 Player Auction will be available on the Disney+Hotstar app and website in India.
Photo credit: Alamy
