Pro Kabaddi League Auction 2019: 5 teams that spent the least

The Steelers will need to strengthen their defense

#2 Jaipur Pink Panthers (₹178.50 lakhs)

The Panthers will be aiming for the playoffs this time around

Retention seems to have been the principal mantra for the Pink Panthers who opted to stick with key performers like Deepak Hooda.

The Asian Games gold medalist from Haryana will remain with the Jaipur-based side along with defender Sandeep Kumar. As such, Amit Hooda became the most expensive player for the Panthers after being bagged for a price of ₹53 lakhs.

Deepak Narwal comes in to get things moving up front - the 23-year-old raider who was with the Pirates last season commanded a price of 30.5 lakhs.

Sunil Siddhagavali will continue his raids for the Panthers in Season 6 after being brought back for 20 lakhs. Abhishek Bachchan's franchise has left no room for doubt that they would prefer to proceed with a tried and tested combination.

Nilesh Salunke joins the Panthers with a price-tag of ₹23.5 lakhs and will need to ensure that the defenders match the unmistakable prowess of the raiders.

About the author

Subhashish has been an Indian sports journalist at Sportskeeda since 2017. He primarily covers hockey along with other Indian Sports, and endeavors to bridge the coverage gap between the multitude of Indian sports and cricket via his articles. Subhashish’s interest in Indian sports peaked after watching a few hockey and football matches live during his childhood days, and has also played Hockey, Football, Table Tennis, Badminton at school and college level.

As a journalist, he covered every single Indian hockey match at the 2018 & 2022 Commonwealth Games, 2018 & 2023 Asian Games, 2018 Women's World Cup, 2018 & 2023 Men’s World Cup and the 2021 Olympics. An interview specialist, he has conducted over 100 interviews with the Indian Men's and Women's Hockey team, and has also been part of the UK-based DesiSportsCast Podcast.

Subhashish’s favorite Indian athlete is Vandana Katariya for her relentlessness and never-say-die attitude. For him, India men's hockey team's 7-1 win over Pakistan in 2017 Hockey World League semis on the same day as India men's cricket team's loss to the same opponent in the Champions Trophy final is an iconic moment in Indian Sports history.

When not writing, he likes to spend his free time blogging, singing, jogging, and trekking.

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Edited by Zaid Khan