Narwal smashes all-time Pro Kabaddi League record, sold to 'UP Yoddha' for Rs 1.65 cr

Talismanic raider Pardeep Narwal smashed an all-time record by becoming the highest-ever bought kabaddi player in the history of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), after being bought by the ‘UP Yoddha’ for Rs 1.65 crore.

The ‘UP Yoddha’ bought Narwal on Monday, the second day of the PKL auction for the upcoming season 8, which will take place in December. “Pardeep continues to re-write history books, with his price tag now quashing that of another star raider Monu Goyat, who was bought by the ‘Haryana Steelers’ for Rs 1.51 crore in Season 6,” stated a media release issued by the PKL late Monday night. Narwal now finds himself a new home after spending five seasons with the ‘Patna Pirates’.

Meanwhile, Siddharth Desai was retained by the ‘Telugu Titans’ via the Final Bid Match (FBM) card for Rs 1.30 crore from his base price of Rs 30 lakh. More than 22 overseas players were sold on the second day. All-rounder Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh (base price Rs 10 lakh), was sold to the ‘Patna Pirates’ for Rs 31 lakh, while the ‘Bengal Warriors’ bought defender Abozar Mohajermighani, bidding for him at Rs 30.5 lakh from the base price of Rs 20 lakh. The ‘Patna Pirates’ used their FBM card to retain South Korean raider Jang Kun Lee at Rs 20.5 lakh, the release said.

After spending six seasons with the ‘Telugu Titans’ and one season with ‘Tamil Thalaivas’, Rahul Chaudhari will now play for the ‘Puneri Paltans’. The ‘Jaipur Pink Panthers’ used both the FBM cards to retain captain Deepak Niwas Hooda and Sandeep Kumar Dhull. The ‘Tamil Thalaivas’ bid for raider Manjeet from his base price of Rs 30 lakh and bought him in for Rs 92 lakh.

Meanwhile, all-rounder Rohit Gulia grabbed eyeballs after he was sold to the ‘Haryana Steelers’ for Rs 83 lakh, a significant jump from his Rs 25-lakh price tag with the ‘Gujarat Giants’ in Season 7. “Kabaddi is such an elementary game in terms of infrastructure required, that I have no doubt that once we get our act together, the explosion of kabaddi internationally is just waiting to happen,” Charu Sharma, co-founder of Mashal Sports, was quoted as saying in the release. Top 5 Indian players: Pardeep Narwal – Rs 1.65 crore — UP Yoddha Siddharth Desai – Rs 1.30 crore — Telugu Titans Manjeet – Rs 92 lakh — Tamil Thalaivas Sachin – Rs 84 lakh — Patna Pirates Rohit Gulia –Rs 83 lakh — Haryana Steelers.