PKL Auction 2019: Top five buys

Siddharth Desai was signed by Telugu Titans for 1.45 crore, while Nitin Tomar was retained by Puneri Paltan for 1.20 crore. Here is Sportstar's compilation of the five top buys at the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 2019 auction.

Here are the top five buys at the end of the first day of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 2019 auction.

Siddharth Desai etched his name in Pro Kabadi League (PKL) history books on Monday when he was signed by Telugu Titans for 1.45 crore, making him the second-most expensive player in PKL history.

FOLLOW DAY 2 OF PKL AUCTIONS HERE

Nitin Tomar was the next biggest  buy when he was retained by Puneri Paltan for 1.20 core on the first day of the PKL auction held in Mumbai.

Here are the top five buys at the end of the first day:

1) Siddharth Desai

After a phenomenal debut season that saw him make records aplenty, Telugu Titans spent big money to bring on board ace raider Siddharth Desai. The 26-year-old took the league by storm with his electrifying raids last season for U Mumba and was bound to be among the top picks coming into the auction. Recovering from a shoulder injury, Siddharth will be eager to emulate last season's success, if not do even better.

Siddharth Desai racked up 218 points in his first Pro Kabaddi season with U Mumba.

 

2) Nitin Tomar

Puneri Paltan had released its entire squad going into the auction with an aim of getting off to a fresh start under new coach Anup Kumar. The side spent big money and used its FBM to hold on to Nitin Tomar.

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Nitin's presence in the new team will add some much needed stability and his experience will keep them in good stead.

3) Rahul Chaudhari

One of the most prolific raiders of all time, Rahul Chaudhari was snapped up by Tamil Thalaivas for 94 lakh. Rahul, with 876 points, is the league's all-time top scorer and will form a lethal raiding partnership with captain Ajay Thakur at Tamil Thalaivas.

4) Monu Goyat

Monu Goyat, who became the most expensive player in PKL history last season, was signed for 93 lakh by UP Yoddha this year. Monu had a fairly lukewarm season last year, gathering 160 points in 20 matches. 

5) Sandeep Narwal

U Mumba shelled out 89 lakh to acquire Sandeep Narwal, one of the most reputed defenders in PKL. His price tag makes him the second most expensive defender in PKL history. Another fun stat - Sandeep holds the record for the most number of Super Tackles in PKL history: 23. With Sandeep and Fazel Atrachalli in defence, U Mumba's defence looks watertight this season.