Fazel, Nada and Mahender among costliest defenders in Pro Kabaddi

We are just a few days away from the Pro Kabaddi Season 10 Player Auction. The excitement is palpable among PKL fans with increasing buzz around the auction. After announcing the player retentions, the teams will now be looking to strengthen their side by bidding for the best available players at the auction.

Over the years, players who have given it their all and shone consistently on the mat in PKL have created good value for themselves at the player auction. Some of these players which franchises splurge large sums of money on turn out to be value for money buys for the teams and spend several years with the same side, forming a part of the team’s spine. 

While raiders are rated very highly in kabaddi and usually cost more at the player auction, defenders have also been bought for a premium in the past few seasons thanks to their defensive contributions. Iranian powerhouse Fazel Atrachali was the first defender in PKL history to go past the INR 1-crore mark.

The Iranian left corner still holds the record for being the most expensive defender in PKL history after he was roped in for INR 1.38 crore by Puneri Paltan in Season 9. Atrachali will be up for grabs once again in Season 10 player auction and it will be interesting to see if teams are willing to break the bank to secure his services once again. 

Apart from Fazel Atrachali, we’ve also seen Indian defenders like Mahender Singh (80 lacs) and Surender Nada (77 lacs) receiving massive bids in previous PKL player auctions. With that in mind, here is a list of the most expensive defenders in Pro Kabaddi history.

Most expensive defenders in Pro Kabaddi history