PKL 2019: 4 players who might go unsold in the upcoming auction

Jasvir Singh hasn't been able to replicate his past success.
Jasvir Singh hasn't been able to replicate his past success.

The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) auction for the 7th season is set to take place on the 8th and 9th of April in Mumbai. The teams have already announced the list of Elite players retained and there have been few shocks and surprises regarding the team's retention policies.

The teams would have worked out their strategies by now and would have allocated a specific budget for their target players. Teams like Haryana Steelers could undergo a major facelift and revamp their squad completely due to no player retention, and other consistent teams like Patna Pirates and Gujarat Fortune Giants have already retained the core members of the squad.

While the consistent performers can be expected to go for a lot of money, the under-performing players could find no takers in the upcoming auction. On that note, we take a look at the players who might go unsold in the upcoming auction.


#4 Vishal Mane

Vishal Mane's performances have declined over the years.
Vishal Mane's performances have declined over the years.

Vishal Mane, the 33-year-old right cover defender, was one of the weakest links in Dabang Delhi's defence. Despite being a seasoned campaigner, he has made unnecessary tackles and put the team in trouble. Moreover, his dashes have had very little or no impact on the raiders in the last season.

In the 22 matches he played last season, he only managed a meager 38 points with a tackle strike rate of just 40% and an average of 1.63 tackles per match. Having been a part of the title-winning side twice (U Mumba and Patna Pirates), his performances have been below par and far from the desired level.

With age not on his side and his prime past him, Vishal Mane might not find any bidders in the upcoming auction.

#3 Rajesh Mondal

Rajesh Mondal was once called the 'Do-or-die specialist'.
Rajesh Mondal was once called the 'Do-or-die specialist'.

Rajesh Mondal was once considered 'as the 'Do-or-Die specialist' in the history of Pro Kabaddi League. Over time, he has gone down the pecking order and has fallen out of favor with the team management.

From scoring 91 points in season 5, his performances have seen a steep decline as he managed a mere 14 points from 11 matches at a raid strike-rate of 18.66%. Moreover, Mondal has only made 12 successful raids from 75 raids. To make matters worse, his maximum points in a match have just been 7. He has also got out several times by stepping onto the lobby.

Mondal's fitness has been less than satisfactory and he hasn't been able to cope up with fitness standards set by the team. With such poor returns from Rajesh Mondal, he might not find any takers in the upcoming auction.

#2 Shabeer Bapu

Image result for shabeer bapu sharfudheen

Shabeer Bappu was one of the most feared raiders during his time at U Mumba. He was U Mumba's most prized possession as he single-handedly won the title for them in the second season due to his super raid which turned the course of the game.

However, injuries derailed his career and things didn't go his way and Shabeer Bapu couldn't even make it to the starting line-up often. Last season playing for Dabang Delhi, he only scored 7 points from a total of 6 games. His average raid points per match have just been 1.16.

Shabeer Bapu has been warming the benches for a while now due to his inability to score points at will. Added to this woes, he has been going for a lot of empty raids more often. With Shabeer Bappu being an injury prone player, his chances of finding a franchise look very slim.

#1 Jasvir Singh

Jasvir Singh is already on the wrong side of the thirties.
Jasvir Singh is already on the wrong side of the thirties.

Jasvir Singh has been one of the most under-rated players in the history of Pro Kabaddi League. He hasn't been able to replicate his past success and has been one of the biggest flops. His signature move of scorpion kick has completely faded away and has become a thing of the past.

In the 16 matches he featured for Tamil Thalaivas last season, he scored a paltry 46 points. Out of the 117 raids, he could only make 38 of them successful and got out cheaply on numerous occasions. He was expected to support Ajay Thakur and play the role of a secondary raider, but he was simply terrible with his performances.

With Jasvir Singh already 35 years old and teams adopting a relatively younger squad, he might most probably go unsold in the upcoming auction.

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Edited by Zaid Khan
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