New Delhi: The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) is gearing up for an exciting new season, and things have already started heating up. Ahead of the much-anticipated Season 12 auction, the league has officially released the list of players retained by franchises. This year’s auction is scheduled to take place on May 31 and June 1 in Mumbai, and fans can expect some intense bidding for kabaddi’s biggest names.
Franchises were allowed to retain players under three categories: Elite Retained Players (ERP), Retained Young Players (RYP), and New Young Players (NYP). A total of 83 players have been retained so far – 25 in the ERP list, 23 as RYP, and 35 under NYP. These players will continue to be part of their existing squads, giving teams a chance to maintain their core heading into the new season.
Some of the standout names among the retained players include Sunil Kumar and Amirmihammed Zafardanesh for U Mumba, Jaideep Dahiya for Haryana Steelers, and the dynamic duo of Aslam Inamdar and Mohit Goyat for Puneri Paltan. Surender Gill has also been retained by UP Yoddhas, continuing his association with the team.
Big names released, set to enter the Auction Pool
While some players were retained, a number of high-profile kabaddi stars were released, creating massive anticipation around the auction. Notable names such as Pawan Sehrawat, Arjun Deshwal, Pardeep Narwal, Ashu Malik, Naveen Kumar, and Devank Dalal are all set to go under the hammer.
The most surprising of all was Naveen Kumar’s release by Dabang Delhi K.C. For the first time in his career, the PKL Season 8 winner wasn’t retained. Naveen has been a consistent performer for Delhi, scoring 1102 raid points across six seasons. He will now enter the auction as the first player in PKL history with over 1000 points for a single franchise before being released.
Auction format
This year’s auction will feature over 500 players, both domestic and international. They will be split into four categories: A, B, C, and D and within each category, players will be grouped based on their roles – Raiders, Defenders, and All-Rounders.
Here’s a breakdown of the base prices for each category:
- Category A: ₹30 Lakh
- Category B: ₹20 Lakh
- Category C: ₹13 Lakh
- Category D: ₹9 Lakh
Each franchise will have a salary purse of ₹5 Crore to build their squads, which means strategic planning will be key. With so many top-tier talents up for grabs, fans can expect bidding wars, last-minute surprises, and perhaps a few emotional reunions or shocking switches.
The full list of retained players-
Bengal Warriorz
ERP – Vishwas S
NYP – Yash Malik, Manjeet, Deep Kumar, Sushil Kambrekar
Bengaluru Bulls
NYP – Chandranaik M, Lucky Kumar, Manjeet, Pankaj
Dabang Delhi K.C.
NYP – Sandeep, Mohit
Gujarat Giants
ERP – Himanshu Singh, Himanshu
RYP – Parteek Dahiya, Rakesh
Haryana Steelers
ERP – Rahul Sethpal, Vinay
RYP – Shivam Anil Patare, Jaideep, Jaya Soorya NS, Vishal S. Tate
NYP – Sahil, Manikandan N, Vikas Ramadas Jadhav
Jaipur Pink Panthers
ERP – Reza Mirbagheri
RYP – Abhishek KS
NYP – Ronak Singh, Nitin Kumar, Sombir, Ritik Sharma
Patna Pirates
ERP – Hamid Mirzaei Nader, Thiyagarajan Yuvaraj
RYP – Sudhakar M
NYP – Ayan, Navdeep, Deepak, Sahil Patil
Puneri Paltan
ERP – Abinesh Nadarajan, Gaurav Khatri, Pankaj Mohite
RYP – Aslam Mustafa Inamdar, Mohit Goyat, Dadaso Shivaji Pujari, Aditya Tushar Shinde
Tamil Thailavas
ERP – Moein Shafaghi, Himanshu, Sagar
RYP – Nitesh Kumar, Narender, Ronak, Vishal Chahal, Aashish
NYP – Anuj Kaluram Gawade, Dhiraj Ravindra Bailmare
Telugu Titans
ERP – Shankar Bhimraj Gadai, Ajit Pandurang Pawar
RYP – Ankit, Praful Sudam Zaware
NYP – Sagar, Chetan Sahu, Nitin, Rohit
U Mumba
ERP – Sunil Kumar, Rohit, Amir Mohammad Zafardanesh, Satish Kannan
RYP – Mukilan Shanmugam
NYP – Ajit Chouhan, Deepak Kundu, Lokesh Ghosliya, Sunny
UP Yoddhas
ERP – Sumit, Bhavani Rajput, Sahul Kumar, Surender Gill, Ashu Singh
RYP – Hitesh, Gagana Gowda HR, Shivam Chaudhary
NYP – Jayesh Vikas Mahajan, Gangaram, Sachin, Keshav Kumar
The build-up to PKL Season 12 is officially underway, and the release of the player retention list has set the stage for what promises to be a thrilling auction in Mumbai. With star players looking for new homes and teams eyeing fresh combinations, kabaddi fans have every reason to stay glued to the updates. Let the auction drama begin!
Pro Kabaddi League reveals retained players for Season 12. 83 players kept; stars like Naveen Kumar, Pardeep Narwal head to auction on May 31. Kabaddi Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
