Iran's Shadloui Becomes Costliest Player In Pro Kabaddi League Auction At Rs 2.35 Crore

Iran's Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh emerged as the costliest player in history of Pro Kabaddi League auction after he was bought for Rs 2.35 crore by Puneri Paltan, while India's Maninder Singh was roped in by Bengal Warriors for Rs 2.12 crore, in Mumbai on Monday. The two-day auction began on Monday with 12 teams bidding for players, both Indian and overseas, from categories A and B. The auctions for categories C and D will take place on Tuesday.

A total of 137 matches will be played in the 10th edition of PKL. As many as 132 league stage matches will be followed by the playoff comprising five matches — two eliminators, two semifinals and the final.

The base price in category A was Rs 30 lakh, category B was Rs 20 lakh whereas in categories C and D, the base prices were placed at Rs 13 lakh and Rs 9 lakh respectively.

For Iran captain Shadloui (all-rounder), whose latest appearance was in the Asian Games final against gold medal winners India, there was intense bidding right at the start which also reset the record of costliest player — for both Indian and overseas.

U Mumba and Gujarat Giants began the bidding and were soon joined by Puneri Paltan and Telugu Titans. The Iranian was eventually picked up by Puneri Paltan for Rs 2.35 crore as Patna Pirates, his former team, did not exercise their right of Final Bid Match (FBM).

"We needed someone on the left. We came with the mindset of picking him up at the auctions,” Puneri Paltan coach BC Ramesh told the media.

Gujarat Giants bagged Fazal Atrachali for Rs 1.60 crore, with the star Iranian player also attracting the biggest bid for a defender in the tournament auction's history.

India's all-rounder Rohit Gulia went to Gujarat Giants for Rs 58.50 lakh with Patna Pirates