The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) has announced the list of retained players ahead of the auction for Season 11, scheduled to take place on August 15-16, 2024, in Mumbai. This announcement includes players retained across three categories: Elite Retained Players (ERP), Retained Young Players (RYP), and Existing New Young Players (ENYP).
Elite Retained Players (ERP) at Pro Kabaddi
A total of 22 players have been retained in the Elite Retained Players category. Some notable retentions include:
Dabang Delhi K.C.: Ashu Malik, Naveen Kumar
Puneri Paltan: Aslam Inamdar
Jaipur Pink Panthers: Arjun Deshwal
Bengal Warriors: Vishwas S, Nitin Kumar
Bengaluru Bulls: Ponparthiban Subramanian, Sushil, Rohit Kumar
Gujarat Giants: Balaji D, Jitender Yadav
Haryana Steelers: Rahul Sethpal, Ghanshyam Magar
Patna Pirates: Ankit, Sandeep Kumar
Telugu Titans: Shankar Gadai, Ajit Pawar
U Mumba: Amirmohammad Zafardanesh, Rinku
Retained Young Players (RYP)
In the Retained Young Players category, 26 players have been retained. Key retentions include:
Bengaluru Bulls: Saurabh Nandal
Gujarat Giants: Parteek Dahiya, Rakesh
Haryana Steelers: Jaideep, Mohit, Vinay
Existing New Young Players (ENYP)
A total of 40 players have been retained in the Existing New Young Players category. This category includes emerging talents who have shown promise in previous seasons.
Notable Releases
Several star players have not been retained and will go under the hammer in the upcoming auction. These include:
- Pawan Sehrawat
- Pardeep Narwal
- Maninder Singh
- Fazel Atrachali
- Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh
Auction Details
The auction will feature both domestic and overseas players, divided into four categories: A, B, C, and D. Each category will have sub-divisions for All-Rounders, Defenders, and Raiders. The base prices for each category are as follows:
Category A: INR 30 Lakh
Category B: INR 20 Lakh
Category C: INR 13 Lakh
Category D: INR 9 Lakh
The player pool for the auction will consist of over 500 players, including 24 players from the two finalist teams of the Khelo India University Games 2024. Each franchise has a total salary purse of INR 5 crore to build their squads.
Ready to hear the 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐃? 💰#ProKabaddiLeague is excited to announce the dates for the 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝟏𝟏 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 in a new avatar. See you soon at the bids! 🤩 🔨#ProKabaddi #PKL #PKLPlayerAuction #PKLSeason11 pic.twitter.com/h6PCZpyL99
— ProKabaddi (@ProKabaddi) July 25, 2024
Franchise Strategies
Franchises have retained a strong core group of players, aiming to build even stronger units in the upcoming season. For instance:
Dabang Delhi K.C. has retained its raider duo of Ashu Malik and Naveen Kumar, ensuring a strong offensive lineup.
Puneri Paltan has retained Aslam Inamdar, the Most Valuable Player award winner in Season 10, highlighting their focus on retaining top talent.
Jaipur Pink Panthers have kept their star raider Arjun Deshwal, aiming to maintain their competitive edge.
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