After playing for the Patna Pirates in the last five Pro Kabaddi League seasons, Pardeep Narwal will now represent UP Yoddha in the 2021 edition of the tournament. The Uttar Pradesh-based franchise broke the bank and splurged ₹1.65 crore to sign Narwal.
Many fans were excited to see which team would sign Pardeep Narwal at PKL Auction 2021. The 'Record Breaker' made his PKL Auction debut today and shattered all records.
Former Patna Pirates star Monu Goyat held the record for the most expensive player in Pro Kabaddi League history. The Haryana Steelers had signed him for ₹1.51 crore ahead of the sixth season. Now the record is in the name of Pardeep Narwal.
Follow the live coverage of the PKL Auction 2021 right here.
The Telugu Titans stunned everyone by submitting an opening bid worth ₹1.2 crore. Soon, other franchises joined the bidding war, and the UP Yoddha emerged as the winners with a closing bid of ₹1.65 crore.
Pardeep will now play with the likes of Sumit, Nitesh Kumar, Surender Gill, Ashu Singh and Nitin Panwar for UP Yoddha. After signing the 'Record Breaker', the UP Yoddha have four raiders, three defenders and one all-rounder in their squad. They have ₹1.6 crore in the auction purse.
Why did Patna Pirates release Pardeep Narwal before PKL Auction 2021?
Patna Pirates coach Ram Meher Singh disclosed in a chat with the host broadcaster that Pardeep Narwal himself asked for his release. Many fans were angry at the team management when they let Pardeep go, but according to the coach, the Patna captain himself wanted to be a part of the auction.
"Pardeep Narwal himself wanted to be a part of the auction pool. He was the best player in Season 3, 4, 5 and 6. From Season 3 to 7, he did whatever we had asked him to do. Thus, we accepted his request. Still, there is a chance Pardeep Narwal plays for the Patna Pirates in Season 8," said Ram Meher Singh.
It will be exciting to see how Pardeep Narwal performs for his new team UP Yoddha in PKL 2021.