MUMBAI: Mashal Sports, organizers of the VIVO Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), has formally announced the dates of PKL Season 9 player auction as August 5-6 in Mumbai.
The domestic, overseas, and new young players (NYPs) will be divided into four categories: Category A, B, C and D. The players will be further sub-divided as ‘all-rounders’, ‘defenders’ and ‘raiders’ within each category. The base prices for each of the categories are Category A – Rs 30 Lakhs, Category B – Rs 20 Lakhs, Category C – Rs 10 Lakhs, Category D – Rs 6 Lakhs. The total salary purse available to each franchisee for its squad for Season 9 is Rs 4.4 crores. The season 9 player pool has been expanded to 500+ including the 24 players from top 2 teams of the Khelo India University Games 2021, Bangalore.
Anupam Goswami, CEO, Sports League, Disney Star India and league commissioner, PKL, said: “As we get ready for the season 9 player auction, very exciting times lie ahead for kabaddi as a sport and our players. Every season has witnessed the emergence of new talented players and I am certain that there are a lot of surprises in store for us this year as well. I look forward to welcoming the young talents from the Khelo India University Games into the player auctions. PKL season 9 will be organized in liaison with our stakeholders and associates in the national kabaddi ecosystem under the AKFI.”
The PKL teams also have a choice of retention of players from their respective PKL season 8 squads as per the league policies. The franchisees are allowed to retain up to 6 players under the elite retained players category and up to 4 NYPs under stipulated conditions in each PKL season. Players who are not retained by the franchisees from the pool of 500+ players will go under the hammer during the two-day auction process in Mumbai.
PKL 9 player auction highlights
Player auction in Mumbai
500+ players to enter auction pool this year
24 players from the top 2 teams of Khelo India University Games, 2021 will be included in the auction pool
