PKL 2019 Auction: A look at last year's 5 most expensive players

The Kabaddi season is once again upon us as the player auction of the Pro Kabaddi League season 7 is set to take place tomorrow at Mumbai. The auction will be a two-day process, hence, the proceedings will culminate on April 9.

The seventh season of the Pro Kabaddi League will commence in the month of July and all the 12 franchises would love to strengthen their squads as much as possible.

In the previous player auction of the Pro Kabaddi League, 7 players made history by becoming a member of the elusive 'Crorepati Club' i.e. they were bought for a price of more than ₹1 Cr. The teams broke the banks to get the best players in the pool.

However, not every Crorepati was successful in performing well for his team as some of them have been released by their franchises ahead of season 7.

In this article, we will have a look at the 5 most expensive players of Pro Kabaddi League season 6 and where do they stand now -

#5 Rishank Devadiga (U.P. Yoddha)

Devadiga was bought by UP Yoddha for a price of 1.11 crores

Rishank Devadiga made a name for himself when he was a part of U Mumba. The U.P. Yoddhas bought him as their marquee player in their debut season but released him ahead of the season 6 auction.

Dabang Delhi won a bidding war to grab Rishank for a price of ₹1.11 crores but U.P. Yoddha had made use of their 'Final Bid Match' to get him back in the team.

What followed was a disappointing season for Rishank as he struggled to stay fit for the matches. In the 23 matches he played, he could collect only 100 raid points which shows the level to which his poor fitness levels affected him.

The U.P. Yoddhas have released him once again this year but this time it does not look like they will go after Rishank in the auction.

Given the talent and potential he has, a lot of teams may go for him in the auction.

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#4 Nitin Tomar (Puneri Paltan)

Nitin Tomar moved from UP Yoddha to Puneri Paltan in season 6

Nitin Tomar rose to fame after the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup where he saved India from losing the final to Iran by pulling off a miraculous do-or-raid. His stocks raised in the Pro Kabaddi League after that performance. Hence, the franchises were ready to shell out everything they could to have Nitin in the team.

Puneri Paltan bought him in the season 6 auction for a price of ₹1.15 crores, with the expectation that the raider will take their team to the next level. However, Tomar failed to maintain his fitness and stayed on the bench for almost half season.

He played 11 matches for the Pune franchise and picked 102 points for them.

Since the Puneri Paltans failed miserably last year, the franchise had released all their players ahead of the auction.

Tamil Thalaivas, who prefer experience over everything may most likely buy Nitin in the auction.

#3 Deepak Niwas Hooda (Jaipur Pink Panthers)

Deepak Hooda's all-round skills could not inspire the Pink Panthers to the play-offs

The 6th season of the Pro Kabaddi League was perhaps the worst in Jaipur Pink Panthers' history as they languished at the bottom of the pool A points table throughout the season. They finished at the 5th position, with just 1 point more than the wooden spoon grabbers Haryana Steelers.

The Abhishek Bachchan-owned franchise had made a huge investment in all-rounder Deepak Niwas Hooda by buying him at a price of ₹1.15 crores in the auction.

Though the Jaipur franchise failed as a team, Deepak shone as an individual performer with more than 200 points to his name in 22 matches.

His individual performances have helped him retain his place in the Pink Panthers side as he will don the pink jersey of Jaipur in season 7 once again.

#2 Rahul Chaudhari (Telugu Titans)

Rahul Chaudhari will be in the auction once again

Telugu Titans made the most shocking move in Pro Kabaddi League history when they decided to release the poster boy, Rahul Chaudhari ahead of the 6th season. However, they bought him back in the auction using the 'Final Bid Match' at a hefty price of ₹1.29 crores.

Chaudhari had a decent season where he snapped up 166 points in 21 matches for Telugu Titans but the numbers were not of the level that Rahul has set for himself. He had an average of 7.57 raid points/ match and thus, the Titans have decided against retaining him for the upcoming season.

The franchise might not go after Rahul in this year's auction but we can see Puneri Paltan, who have not retained a single player, go after him.

#1 Monu Goyat (Haryana Steelers)

It seemed like Monu Goyat crumbled under the high expectations from him

Haryana Steelers made Monu Goyat the most expensive signing in Pro Kabaddi League history when they shelled ₹1.51 crores to buy the raider. A lot was expected from Monu but he failed to replicate his performances of season 5, where he had shone for Patna Pirates.

In the 20 matches he played, Monu Goyat picked 160 raid points at an average of 8 points per match. His individual brilliance could not lead the Steelers to the playoffs as they finished at the last position in the Pool A points table.

Unsurprisingly, Monu Goyat has not been retained by the Haryana Steelers as the raider will go under the hammer once again. He may not fetch that high an amount that he fetched last season but his former teams Bengal Warriors and Patna Pirates would love to have him back in the team.