The second day of the VIVO Pro Kabaddi auction turned into Throwback Thursday as a number of players who had parted ways in Season 5 were picked by teams to play together.

It was an exciting day where teams got a chance to work on the chinks in their armour after Day 1 and form the main body of the team after picking the big names and building a good base on the first day.

Teams fill in the gaps

After picking up the big stars around whom they want to base their teams, the franchises filled in the remaining gaps in the team to lend it overall strength. If Day 1 was about building a strong base, Day 2 was all about putting the structure together and adding the finishing touches to ensure the team has enough fire power to last the entire season.

Teams like Telugu Titans and U Mumba made some big purchases on the day and ensured they got the players they wanted kept a number of options ready for each position in case of any eventuality. Teams also got a number of young players into their fold, who they will look to groom in the coming years into the big guns of the sport.

Old Partnerships come to fore

Backing tried and tested partnerships was the flavour of the day at the auction as a number of big names from previous seasons came together in the same team yet again. The most notable of these was the Manjeet Chhillar-Ajay Thakur partnership on Day 1, which will now be seen in the Tamil Thalaivas team. After successful stints at the Puneri Paltan and Bengaluru Bulls, the duo will now try and bring the same success to the team in yellow. But Day 2 saw Jasvir Singh, Chhillar’s Jaipur Pink Panthers team mate and long-time friend also joining forces with the Thalaivas making it one of the teams with the most experience in their ranks.

Other partnerships, such as the Fazel Atrachali and Abolfazl Maghsodlou partnership will also be seen together at U Mumba, giving fans a throwback to Season 3 when the duo played together at the Mumbai based franchise.

Many teams also took the opportunity to utilise their remaining Final Bid Match cards, the most notable of these being Vikas Kandola, who stayed with Haryana Steelers and the impressive young defender Sagar Krishna, who will once again be seen with U.P. Yoddha.

Banking on new talent

While a number of senior players such as Vishal Mane (Dabang Delhi K.C.), Rajesh Narwal (Dabang Delhi K.C.), and ‘Anna’ Dharmaraj Cheralathan (U Mumba) were the headliners on Day 2, teams chose to bank on a number of newer names in the hopes of unearthing new talent.

A number of players under the New Young Player (NYP) category made their way into teams and if Season 5 is anything to go by, rest assured that they will be raring to prove themselves on the big stage.

It was a mixed bag over all as teams like Gujarat Fortunegiants and Bengaluru Bulls chose to make youth the core of their team, while others such Dabang Delhi K.C., who picked up seniors like Ravinder Pahal, Vishal Mane, Shabeer Bappu and Rajesh Narwal, relied more on the maturity of the more experienced guys to lead their team’s title fight.

The teams are now set and the battle lines are drawn. Come #LePanga as VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 6 kicks off later this year.

To see the final squads at the end of the auction, click here.

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