Record 10 Crorepatis steal the show on Day 1 of PKL 12 Player Auction
Double the number of crorepatis from Season 10 sets a new benchmark for the PKL Player Auction
Mohammadreza Shadloui bags more than INR 2 crores in three consecutive seasons
Devank Dalal joins Bengal Warriorz for whopping INR 2.205 crores
Ashu Malik, Deepak Singh re-signed for two seasons via the new FBM rule
Mumbai, May 31, 2025: Mohammadreza Shadloui created history at the outset after the Season 11’s Most Valuable Player was snapped up for INR 2.23 Crores in the very first bid of the evening by Gujarat Giants. The two-time PKL champion is the first player to go for more than INR 2 Crore three times in PKL history. His purchase began a plethora of top signings as Day 1 of the Player Auction saw 10 players crossing the INR 1 Crore mark, setting a new record for PKL.
Devank Dalal, who was the Best Raider in PKL 11, joined Shadloui in the 2 Crore category after he was eventually signed by Bengal Warriorz for INR 2.205 Crores, making him the fifth-most expensive player ever in PKL.
A highlight of the Player Auction was the use of the new Final Bid Match (FBM) rule which allows teams to buy back their released players by matching the final auction bid price, for either one or two seasons. This FBM rule was used by Dabang Delhi K.C. to bring their star raider Ashu Malik back to the team for INR 1.90 Crores for the next two seasons.
Arjun Deshwal, who was signed by Tamil Thalaivas for INR 1.405 Crores, and Yogesh Dahiya, who will join Bengaluru Bulls after being signed for INR 1.125 Crores, were the other top bids from Category A.
After Category A saw 5 players bought for more than INR 1 Crore, Category B followed in the same vein. Ankit Jaglan was bought back by Patna Pirates for INR 1.573 Crore with the raise of an FBM card for one season, while Season 8 winner Naveen Kumar was the second-most expensive player in this Category, paid by Haryana Steelers for a price of INR 1.20 Crores.
Guman Singh found himself among the Crorepati list yet again, this time being signed by UP Yoddhas for INR 1.073 Crores. Sachin Tanwar and Nitin Kumar rounded out the 10 Crorepatis of the PKL 12 Player Auction, bagging INR 1.058 Crores (Puneri Paltan) and INR 1.002 Crores (Jaipur Pink Panthers) respectively.
“Day 1 of the PKL Season 12 Player Auction was a landmark moment, with a record-breaking 10 players crossing the ₹1 crore mark across Categories A and B — reflecting the continued growth in player value and the league’s evolution over the past decade. The introduction of the two-season Final Bid Match (FBM) rule also had an impact, with two teams choosing to retain players for a longer duration — highlighting our commitment to building continuity within squads. We now look forward to Day 2, as the franchisees build their squads for the upcoming season,” said Mr. Anupam Goswami, Business Head, Mashal Sports & League Commissioner, Pro Kabaddi League.
Category A player buys on Day 1
Name
Country
Contracted amount
Team
Mohammadreza Shadloui
Iran
INR 2.23 Crores
Gujarat Giants
Fazel Atrachali
Iran
INR 30 Lakhs
Dabang Delhi K.C.
Pawan Sehrawat
India
INR 59.50 Lakhs
Tamil Thalaivas
Bharat Hooda
India
INR 81 Lakhs
Telugu Titans
Vijay Malik
India
INR 51.50 Lakhs
Telugu Titans
Shubham Shinde
India
INR 80 Lakhs
Telugu Titans
Ankush
India
INR 30 Lakhs
Bengaluru Bulls
Deepak Rajender Singh
India
INR 86 Lakhs
Patna Pirates
Yogesh Dahiya
India
INR 1.125 Crores
Bengaluru Bulls
Ashu Malik
India
INR 1.90 Crores
Dabang Delhi K.C.
Arjun Deshwal
India
INR 1.405 Crores
Tamil Thalaivas
Devank Dalal
India
INR 2.205 Crores
Bengal Warriorz
Category B player buys on Day 1
Name
Position
Contracted amount
Team
Amirhossein Bastami
All rounder
INR 30 Lakhs
Dabang Delhi
Ankit Jaglan
All rounder
INR 1.573 Crores
Patna Pirates
Nitesh Kumar
Defender
INR 20.25 Lakhs
Bengal Warriorz
Sanket Sawant
Defender
INR 40.50 Lakhs
Patna Pirates
Mahender Singh
Defender
INR 20 Lakhs
UP Yoddhas
Surjeet Singh
Defender
INR 20 Lakhs
Dabang Delhi
Rinku Sharma
Defender
INR 21 Lakhs
U Mumba
Sanjay Krishan Dhull
Defender
INR 60 Lakhs
Bengaluru Bulls
Guman Singh
Raider
INR 1.073 Crores
UP Yoddhas
Maninder Singh
Raider
INR 20 Lakhs
Patna Pirates
Nitin Kumar
Raider
INR 1.002 Crores
Jaipur Pink Panthers
Manjeet
Raider
INR 40 Lakhs
Jaipur Pink Panthers
Sachin Tanwar
Raider
INR 1.058 Crores
Puneri Paltan
Naveen Kumar
Raider
INR 1.20 Crores
Haryana Steelers
