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

The Steelers will need to strengthen their defense

#1 Bengaluru Bulls (₹157.25 lakhs)

Bengaluru Bulls - the champions set to return in style

The defending champions had no reason to be desperate - and did not display any signs of the same right through the auction.

An affinity for Nepali talent was made evident following the acquisition of Lalmohan Yadav and Sanjay Shreshth who both cost the Bulls ₹10 lakhs each.

A significant number of retentions made well in advance had made it amply clear that the Bengaluru-based franchise was not aiming for any kind of overhaul - the only question was whether or not there would be any aggressive bidding on a select few from their end.

As it turned out, the Final Bid Match card was put to good use in order to target Mahender Singh for a sum of ₹80 lakhs.

Amit Sheoran, who was retained, will man the defense alongside Mahender - as will Vijay Kumar, who the Bulls got hold of for ₹21.25 lakhs.

Rohit Kumar and Pawan Sehrawat will look to continue from where they left off last season - and under coach Randhir Singh Sehrawat's tutelage, the Bulls can well nurture hopes of earning their second successive title.

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