PKL Season 12 to begin (PC: WORDSWORK)The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) has revealed the list of retained players ahead of the Season 12 auction, which is scheduled to take place in Mumbai on May 31 and June 1. The announcement includes names across three key categories: Elite Retained Players (ERP), Retained Young Players (RYP), and New Young Players (NYP), as franchises prepare to build competitive squads for the upcoming season.
A total of 83 players have been retained, with 25 in the ERP list, 23 in the RYP group, and 35 falling under the NYP category. Among the prominent players retained are U Mumba’s Sunil Kumar and Amirmohammad Zafardanesh, Haryana Steelers’ Jaideep Dahiya, Surender Gill of UP Yoddhas, and Puneri Paltan’s Aslam Inamdar and Mohit Goyat.
However, with over 500 players entering the auction pool, including some of the league’s biggest names, all 12 teams will be keen to make strategic signings. Big Indian stars like Pawan Sehrawat, Arjun Deshwal, Ashu Malik, and PKL 11’s top raider Devank Dalal will be up for grabs. International stars like Fazel Atrachali and Mohammadreza Shadloui, along with experienced PKL campaigners Maninder Singh and Pardeep Narwal, will also be part of the auction.
One of the most talked-about developments is the auction debut of star raider Naveen Kumar. Having scored 1102 raid points for Dabang Delhi K.C. across six seasons, the PKL Season 8 champion becomes the first player in league history to register 1000+ points with a single franchise before going under the hammer.
Players in the auction will be grouped into four categories — A, B, C, and D — with subcategories for All-Rounders, Defenders, and Raiders. The base prices are set at INR 30 lakh for Category A, INR 20 lakh for Category B, INR 13 lakh for Category C, and INR 9 lakh for Category D.
Each franchise will have a total purse of INR 5 crore to construct its squad, setting the stage for an intense bidding war as teams aim to strengthen their lineups fo Season 12.
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