Most expensive defenders at Pro Kabaddi Season 10 Player Auction

Among the different types of players in kabaddi, defenders are an integral part of any team and some of these tough tacklers are much sought-after by franchises owing to their unique skill set. Defenders are often the difference between good and title winning teams, which is why it is important for franchises to get the right personnel to safeguard its defence.

In the Pro Kabaddi Season 10 Player Auction, we came across a mix of both experienced and young defenders who were in demand during the bidding process. Here, we have a look at the top talents who emerged as the most expensive defenders in the Pro Kabaddi Season 10 Player Auction.

Most expensive defenders at Pro Kabaddi Season 10 Player Auction

Fazel Atrachali | Gujarat Giants | ₹ 1.60 crore

The Sultan Fazel Atrachali has been one of the most successful defenders in Pro Kabaddi over the years. He’s a player that all franchises want in their team and the Season 10 Player Auction was a testament to that as he was in high demand. Atrachali’s previous team Puneri Paltan didn’t have enough in the bank after signing Mohammadreza Chiyaneh for a big bid. However, many other teams were involved in a big bidding war for the Iranian and eventually it was Gujarat Giants that signed him for ₹ 1.60 crore to solidify his status as the most expensive defender in PKL history.

Rahul Sethpal | Haryana Steelers | ₹ 40.70 lac

Rahul Sethpal is one of the most talented emerging defenders in PKL. He has played 33 matches in the league and scored 50 tackle points. The right corner has shown great potential in defence and a lot is expected from him in the future. Gujarat Giants and Patna Pirates showed interest in making him a part of their side but it was Haryana Steelers who secured his services courtesy of a ₹ 40.70 lac bid, which made him the most expensive Indian defender at the PKL Season 10 Player Auction.

Mahender Singh | U Mumba | ₹ 40.25 lac

Mahender Singh has been one of the more consistent defenders in Pro Kabaddi over the past few campaigns. The seasoned defender played five seasons for Bengaluru Bulls and was a vital asset for the side in defence. However, teams like U Mumba and U.P. Yoddhas were the ones who engaged in a bidding war for the left cover in the Season 10 Player Auction. After a long battle between the two sides at the auction table, U Mumba finally signed Mahender Singh with a ₹ 40.25 lac bid that made him the third most expensive defender at the Season 10 Player Auction.

Shubham Shinde | Bengal Warriors | ₹ 32.25 lac

Initially it was the likes of Patna Pirates and Tamil Thalaivas that found themselves locked in an intense bidding war to buy Shubham Shinde at the Season 10 Player Auction. Shortly after, Season 8 champions Dabang Delhi K.C. also joined them in the bidding war as they attempted to rope in the right corner who has registered 89 tackle points in PKL history. However, eventually it was Bengal Warriors who re-signed Shubham Shinde for ₹ 32.25 lac by using their Final Bid Match (FBM) card. He was the second best defender for Bengal Warriors with 43 tackle points in Season 9 and will be a valuable asset for the team in the upcoming campaign as well.

Amirhossein Bastami | Tamil Thalaivas | ₹ 30 lac

The Iranian defender, Asmirhossein Bastami made his PKL debut last season when he played for Haryana Steelers. He showed his capability in the limited number of matches that he featured in and finished the campaign with 23 tackle points, including one High 5. Rated as one of the rising stars in the Iranian kabaddi circuit, Bastami will be looking to grow in stature in the upcoming season and the fact that he was the fifth most expensive defender at the Player Auction demonstrates how highly franchises already rate him. After intense bidding, the right corner was bought by Tamil Thalaivas for ₹ 30 lac ahead of Pro Kabaddi Season 10.