Pawan Sehrawat made history at the previous Pro Kabaddi auction when he became the costliest pick in the tournament's history. Telugu Titans went all out for the Indian all-rounder and snapped him up for a whopping ₹2.65 crore.
Unfortunately, Telugu Titans still finished last in the Pro Kabaddi League points table despite signing Pawan Sehrawat. Since the Titans spent so much to acquire Pawan's services, they could not form a well-balanced squad. Hence, the team struggled despite Pawan's brilliance and recorded only two wins in 22 matches.
Telugu Titans have released Pawan Sehrawat from their squad ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2024 Auction. Considering the talent that Pawan has, all 12 teams will be interested in his services, but here are the top three teams that may aim to acquire the star Indian all-rounder.
#1 Gujarat Giants may go hard for Pawan Sehrawat
Not many fans would know that Pawan Sehrawat started his Pro Kabaddi League career as a Gujarat Giants player in season five. He turned up for the Giants in a few matches, but the Ahmedabad-based franchise did not retain him for season six. The Hi-Flier then joined Bengaluru Bulls and helped them become champions by defeating Gujarat in the final.
Considering the blunder Gujarat made by releasing Pawan, the franchise will be keen to have him back in their squad for season 11 now. The Giants have loaded their purse by releasing some big names from their squad ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2024 Auction.
With ₹4.08 crore in their auction purse, Gujarat Giants will have the luxury of going hard for Pawan Sehrawat. If the Giants acquire his services, they can even appoint him as their captain for PKL 11.
#2 UP Yoddhas
UP Yoddhas have released Pardeep Narwal from their squad ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2024 auction. The Uttar Pradesh-based franchise needs an experienced raider, who can lead the attack with Surender Gill.
The Yoddhas have ₹3.16 crore in their auction purse right now. Considering that the Yoddhas missed out on the Pro Kabaddi playoffs last season for the first time since their debut, the team management will aim to sign some of the best players at the auction.
Pawan Sehrawat will likely be up there on their wishlist. If UP Yoddhas sign Pawan, the all-rounder will be delighted as well because he will have a fantastic support raider in Surender Gill this season.
#3 Telugu Titans
Telugu Titans will have the FBM option available for Sehrawat. Despite a nightmarish season last year, the Titans may not shy away from bidding an enormous sum for Pawan's services and appointing him as the captain once again in Pro Kabaddi.
Perhaps, the Titans can let other teams fight for Pawan and then raise the FBM card if the price is less than ₹2.605 crore, the amount that they spent for the Hi-Flier last season. The Titans can then allocate the rest of the funds to sign some better players and form a balanced team for the new season.