PKL auction: Sandeep Dhull was a ‘steal’ at ₹40 lakh, says Dabang Delhi’s Krishan Hooda

Sandeep Dhull was one of the players the team wanted badly, so purchasing him for a ‘reasonable price’ on day one was icing on the cake, says Dabang Delhi KC coach Krishan Hooda.

Published : Aug 06, 2022 12:55 IST , Mumbai

Dabang Delhi is the defending champion, having won the title in the eighth season.
Dabang Delhi is the defending champion, having won the title in the eighth season. | Photo Credit: PKL
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Dabang Delhi is the defending champion, having won the title in the eighth season. | Photo Credit: PKL

Riding on his youth brigade, Krishan Hooda is credited with making Dabang Delhi KC a force to reckon with in the Pro Kabaddi League. Having released seasoned all-rounder Sandeep Narwal ahead of the ninth player auction, Hooda was looking forward to acquiring more young talent on the second day of the auction.

“We still have one corner on our wish list. We are looking forward to a new domestic signing so that we will have another young brigade ready to roll,” Hooda told Sportstar ahead of the second day’s proceedings of the player auction.

“Even Naveen Kumar was picked through NYP (New Young Programme). So were Ashu Malik and Krishan Dhull. We couldn’t give Krishan too many chances but this year, I am looking at Krishan as a main corner. And you’ll see four or five youngsters who are learning quickly so that they can reach greater heights.”

Hooda was thrilled with Sandeep Dhull, referring to him as a “steal” for ₹40 lakh, on day one. Dhull came in with a base price of ₹30 lakh. “As we all know, auction dynamics are such that we don’t usually get everyone that’s on top of your priority list. But I can tell you we had two players at the top of our hitlist: Sandeep Dhull and Fazal Atrachali. I got one of those corners. And that too at a reasonable price,” Hooda said.

Hooda said the Dabang thinktank has been involved in multiple mock auctions ahead of Friday. “We came here on August 3 and have had four long meetings. We created at least four options for every position after trying out various scenarios. Quite happy with the first day, let’s hope it ends according to our plans,” he signed off.

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