Pro Kabaddi: Pawan Sehrawat most expensive signing again as five players sold for over one crore

Pawan Sehrawat emerged as the most expensive buy on Day 1 of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 Player Auction held in Mumbai on Monday. The India captain, who earlier this week guided the national team to a gold medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, was sold to the Telugu Titans for Rs 2.605 crore.

Iranian all-rounder Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh emerged as the most expensive foreign player at auction, being bought for a whopping Rs 2.35 by Puneri Paltan.

This was the second season in a row in which Sehrawat was the most expensive player. Last year, he was purchased by the Tamil Thalaivas for a record Rs 2.26 crore.

The auction on Monday was the first time five players were sold for over a crore – Pawan Sehrawat, Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh, Maninder Singh, Fazel Atrachali and Siddharth Desai.

A total of 23 players were sold to the 12 franchise teams with as many as six Final Bid Match cards being used on Day 1.

Telugu Titans had earlier purchased Maninder Singh for Rs 2.12 crore, but the raider’s previous team, the Bengal Warriors, used their Final Bid Match card to hold on to his services by paying the same price.

The Titans had finished last in the 12-team 2022-23 season, and looked determined to break the bank for a player who could help change their fortunes.

Iranians in demand

The Iranian kabaddi captain Fazel Atrachali was sold to the Gujarat Giants for INR 1.6 crore. He also retained his record for the most expensive defender in PKL history. Meanwhile, Atrachali’s compatriot Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh was bought by the Giants for INR 22 lakh.