Most expensive players in Pro Kabaddi: The Pro Kabaddi League has brought about a revolution in the world of kabaddi as the organizers have been successful in their plan of taking the game from mud to mat. Earlier, not many Indian sports followers had an idea of the kabaddi stars.
But thanks to the Pro Kabaddi League, the fans are not only following the tournament, but they are also following the sport. The Kabaddi World Cup 2016 was a major success with the Indian kabaddi team emerging as champions. It goes without saying that the Indian team has dominated this sport.
However, many other countries like Iran and the Korea Republic are also growing slowly. Iran has been a tough rival for the Indian team at the international level. Many players have earned massive PKL deals owing to their excellent performance.
In this article, we will have a look at the five most expensive players in PKL history.
5. Deepak Niwas Hooda – 1.15 Crore
Andhra Pradesh-based all-rounder Deepak Niwas Hooda made his PKL debut as a part of the Telugu Titans team. The all-rounder was touted by many as the next big thing in Indian kabaddi and he lived up to that tag. The Puneri Paltan signed him after the Titans released him.
But Deepak earned his biggest contract from the Jaipur Pink Panthers in PKL 2018 Auction. The inaugural PKL champions signed him for 1.15 Crore. Later, they even assigned him the reins of the team. For Jaipur Pink Panthers, Hooda is the most expensive player in Pro Kabaddi.
4. Nitin Tomar – 1.2 Crore
Nitin Tomar joined the Pro Kabaddi League in 2016. The Bengal Warriors were the first franchise to sign him in the PKL. Tomar has been quite impressive as a raider in the league. After Bengal released him, the Puneri Paltan signed him in the PKL Auction.
After the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup, Nitin’s value raised even further. He had a memorable season with UP Yoddha. The Yoddhas had signed him for 93 lakhs. Later, Pune bought him back for 1.15 Crore. Surprisingly, they released him before season 7, only to use the FBM card and sign him again for a whopping 1.2 Crores.
3. Rahul Chaudhari – 1.29 Crore
The poster boy of the Pro Kabaddi League, Rahul Chaudhari played the first six seasons for the Telugu Titans. He was the reason behind the Titans’ success in the Pro Kabaddi League. However, as his performance dipped, Titans did away with him ahead of the 2018 auction.
Still, they used FBM card and bought him back for 1.29 Crore ahead of the sixth season. After another disappointing season with the Titans, Rahul joined the Tamil Thalaivas before season 7.
2. Siddharth Sirish Desai – 1.45 Crore
Siddharth Desai made his Pro Kabaddi League debut for the U Mumba franchise in the sixth season. He became the breakout star of the season, and the Mumbai-based franchise raised many eyebrows when they decided not to retain Siddharth before the 2019 season.
As expected, Siddharth emerged as the most expensive player in Pro Kabaddi Auction 2019. The Telugu Titans splurged 1.45 Crore for his services, one of the most expensive players in pro kabaddi. Unfortunately, Desai could not lead the Titans to the playoffs in the previous edition.
1. Monu Goyat – 1.51 Crore
Indian raider Monu Goyat holds the records for being the most expensive player in Pro Kabaddi. The former Patna Pirates star was instrumental in the Bihar-based franchise’s third consecutive championship win.
Patna retained only Pardeep Narwal and let go of Monu Goyat before the auction. Haryana Steelers broke the bank for his services as they signed him for an incredible price of 1.51 Crore. To date, Monu remains the most expensive player in Pro Kabaddi League history. It will be interesting to see if his record is ever broken.
