Pardeep Narwal is eagerly looking forward to the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) auctions. The 24-year-old, the leading point-scorer in the PKL’s short history, will feature in the auction pool for the first time and is thrilled with all the added interest that’s coming his way.
Pardeep, the dubki king, has not been retained by Patna Pirates ahead of the PKL 8. However, the three-time champion can hold on to him by using the Final Bid Match (FBM) rule which allows teams to retain a player by matching the final bid made for him. Pardeep has spent the last five seasons at Patna Pirates.
READ: Pardeep, Deepak Hooda, Siddharth Desai not retained, to be a part of Pro Kabaddi League auction
“ Mujhe bohot khushi ho rahi hai ki mai pehli bar aaya hun auctions mein. Abhi pata nahi hai ki kya hoga, kaunsi team mujhe sign karegi ya Patna Pirates hi mujhe retain karenge, magar mai bohot excited hun. (This is the first time I am in the auction and I am thrilled about it. I can’t say what will happen, which team will pick me or if Patna Pirates will retain me, but I am very excited),” Pardeep tells Sportstar , while sheepishly adding that it's almost like a dream come true for him to be a part of the player auctions.
With a mammoth 1160 raid points to his name, Pardeep is bound to trigger a bidding war at the auction. The two-time MVP is widely touted to attract the biggest bid ever. Monu Goyat’s move to Patna Pirates at 1.51 crore in 2018 is currently the most expensive buy in the PKL.
Pardeep, well aware of all the chatter surrounding his participation in the auction, quips, “Every team should have a chance to sign me. Now I’m here (in the auction). Whichever team wants me onboard can sign me on!”
Having made the dubki his own -- a move that commands rubber-band-like elasticity as the raider ducks below a chain of defenders and then launches himself back to his feet -- he says he’s got a few more tricks up his sleeves. But he’s not ready to divulge them just yet.
“How can I tell you what I am working on? (laughs) I will show you on the mat. Else you will leak my new moves (laughs). Sirf dubki se kaam thodi chalega, alag alag skills bhi chahiye . (I cannot bank on just the dubki , people will figure it out and have learnt to read it.) I am working on some new moves and have also perfected my older techniques,” he says.
READ: PKL Season 8 auctions to take place between August 29-31
Pardeep is an enigma and one of the most widely recognised names in the sport. Once a shy kid, he now rules the mat. He holds the record for the most points in a single season at 369, has scored the most points in a single raid (eight) and is also the only player to score above 300 points in more than one campaign.
The champ will now watch the teams battle for his signature when the PKL auction is held on August 30.
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