Having been added to the auctions pool at the last minute, Services players continued to strike big on the second and final day of auctions for the fifth season of ProKabaddi League on Tuesday with Armyman Suraj Desai becoming the highest-bid for Category B player, snapped up by Dabang Delhi for ₹52.50 lakh.
It was more than double of what Jaipur Pink Panthers paid to regain the services of experienced defender and former captain Navneet Gautam, who went for mere ₹24 lakh. Gautam had sat out the previous season due to injury.
In the process Desai, based out of Mumbai, went past several bigger, more experienced names in the fray as the Delhi franchise put its faith in the young raider to improve its dismal performances in the past seasons. Along with Ravi Dalal and Iranian Meraj Sheykh, Desai would be expected to make up for the absence of Delhi's two best raiders from the past seasons — Kashiling Adake and Selvamani K — who have been snapped up by other franchises.
The total money spent by the 12 teams — allotted a purse of ₹4 crore — was ₹46.99 crore for 227 players. With Indian players from Category B, C and D going under the hammer on Day Two, the teams preferred to pick up new and younger players.
Junior players like Sachin, who would be making their debut in the PKL, earned far above their base price.
Sachin was picked by Team Gujarat for ₹36 lakh while Jaipur paid a whopping ₹50 lakh for Jaideep Singh, both Category B players with a base price of ₹12 lakh.
