PKL Auction 2018: 5 players who could be bargain buys in Pro Kabaddi League Season 6

Following five exciting seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League, it is now time to welcome another season this year in October. However, as a prequel and a necessity as part of any sporting league, the auctions for the league will be held on the 30th and 31st of May in Mumbai.

Ahead of the auctions, a total of 21 elite players were retained which did not include some notable names such as Rahul Chaudhari, Manjeet Chhillar etc. who will throw their hat in the ring hoping to earn a big contract with one of the twelve franchises.

With some big names set to go under the hammer, one can expect a lot of heated bidding for some players, while some others, who have performed exceedingly well but were out of favour in the last season might find themselves earning lesser than what they might expect.

Here are five such players, who might be bargain buys from this year's auction considering their experience over the past few years.

#5 Sachin Shingade

Sachin Shingade attempts a back hold on Deepak Dahiya

The left-cover defender did not have the best of seasons in the fifth edition of the lucrative league and finished with only 22 points from the 26 games he played, prompting the Pirates to release him and instead retain the likes of Jaideep and Manish.

However, Sachin's presence on the court as a left-cover has not gone unnoticed, with the burly defender making his presence felt through some strong tackles, apart from his constant support to the rest of the defence unit.

While his defence was instrumental in Patna's title race in Season 4, his indifferent performance in the fifth season might see him lose out on a fat paycheque in the upcoming auctions.

Having said that, Shingade is placed in category B, which will also feature the likes of Vishal Mane, Joginder Narwal amongst others which will make matters more interesting as teams will need to sort out their strategies in order to beef up their squad. Given that he has not had a great season last time around, will he be procured for a price lesser than his fair price range?

#4 Shabeer Bapu

Shabeer Bapu in action against the Pink Panthers

Agile and nippy on the mat, Shabeer has played a huge part as one of the most successful raiders in the league and with 200 points from 54 matches, Shabeer has evolved as one of the best in business.

However, his re-joining with the U Mumba for the fifth season did not serve him to good measure as he often played under the shadow of skipper Anup Kumar and Kashiling Adake, forcing him to warm the benches with the likes of Shrikant Jadhav and Darshan Kadian too finding a place in the starting seven.

The burly raider featured in only 12 games last season and picked 38 points. In the upcoming auctions, Shabeer Bapu might, in all possibilities, find a new team that can procure him at a reasonable rate with the standard of raiders to choose from.

#3 Dharmaraj Cheralathan

Cheralathan (R) is one of the oldest players in the league

One of the league's oldest warhorses, Cheralathan has represented four teams in the Pro Kabaddi League, namely the Telugu Titans, Bengaluru Bulls, Patna Pirates and Puneri Paltan.

Part of the gold-medal winning Indian team in the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup, Cheralathan has been an imperative part of each franchise he has played for with his ability to perform from both the right and the left corner position.

However, he was not at his best during the fifth season and in 18 matches, could only muster 25 tackle points, raising questions about his fitness and future in the tournament. The 43-year-old Tamil Nadu-born player is one of the leading defenders in the league but with him walking into the twilight of his career, teams might want to invest in some fresh blood, which could see him being bought as a bargain buy.

#2 Jasvir Singh

Will Jasvir's average run in the previous edition cost him?

One might wonder why Jasvir Singh features on this list, with the 34-year old doing remarkably well in the past seasons. Jasvir's inability to strike at crucial moments could be one reason why teams might look away from adding him to their roster.

Undoubtedly one of the most successful raiders with 337 points from 61 matches, Jasvir Singh is a veteran of sorts, when it comes to the league's standpoint. But his recent stint with the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the last season, where he finished with only 66 points from 15 games. This might limit the extent to which teams would want to procure Jasvir's services.

With the talent pool coming into the auction, it will be interesting to see how much Jasvir is sold for, a price which could ultimately turn out to be an absolute steal.

#1 Ran Singh

Ran Singh has evolved into one of most talked about all-rounders in the league

A talented all-rounder know more for his defence than his ability to raid, Ran Singh will be one player to watch out for in the upcoming auctions. Quietly going about his task unperturbed by the situations around him, Singh was an instrumental part of Bengal Warriors' road to the final last season as he finished with 64 points from 23 matches.

Placed in category 'A' as part of the all-rounders set alongside big names such as Deepak Niwas Hooda and Manjeet Chhillar, Ran Singh can be expected to cause quite a stir in the auction room when his name comes up. However, given that he has not been the most consistent of all players, teams might want to do their research on his efficiency and chalk up how he would fit in their team's strategies.