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The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Player Auction witnessed a flurry of high-value acquisitions on its second day, with Ajith V Kumar, Jai Bhagwan, and Arjun Rathi emerging as the most expensive players in their respective categories.Ajith, a Category C player, was snapped up by Puneri Paltan for a whopping ₹66 lakh, while Jai Bhagwan, also in Category C, was acquired by Bengaluru Bulls for ₹63 lakh. In Category D, Arjun was fetched by Bengal Warriorz for ₹41 lakh, while Mohd. Amaan and Stuwart Singh were bought by Puneri Paltan and U Mumba for ₹16.2 lakh and ₹14.2 lakh, respectively.The 12 franchises spent a total of ₹33.7 crores on the second day of the auction, bringing the total expenditure to ₹50.7 crores over the two days. On day one, Sachin Tanwar and Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh had emerged as the costliest buys, with Tamil Thalaivas and Haryana Steelers acquiring them for ₹2.15 crores and ₹2.07 crores, respectively.Anupam Goswami, Head Sports Leagues at Mashal Sports and League Commissioner of PKL, expressed his satisfaction with the auction. "It was remarkable to see Category C players like Ajith V Kumar and Jai Bhagwan attract strong bidding of over 60 Lakh on Day 2," he said. "I am extremely happy to see that all franchises have built well-balanced squads, which promises a highly competitive PKL Season 11."In total, 118 players were sold during the two-day auction, with the 11th season of PKL expected to commence in October this year. Puneri Paltan, the reigning champions, will be looking to defend their title against a host of strong contenders.

The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) is gearing up for its 11th season, with the auction set to take place on August 15 and 16. Ahead of the auction, franchises have retained a total of 88 players, including key stars like Asian Games gold medallists Pawan Sehrawat and Pardeep Narwal.The retained players include a core group of experienced and talented individuals. Dabang Delhi K.C. has retained the raider duo of Ashu Malik and Naveen Kumar, while Puneri Paltan has held on to season 10's most valuable player award winner Aslam Inamdar. Jaipur Pink Panthers have retained their star raider Arjun Deshwal.The non-retained players include Maninder Singh, Fazel Atrachali, and Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh. These players will be available for selection in the auction.For the auction, the domestic and overseas players will be divided into four categories: 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 Lakh* Category B: Rs 20 Lakh* Category C: Rs 13 Lakh* Category D: Rs 9 LakhThe player pool will consist of 500 players. The total salary purse available to each franchise for its squad is Rs 5 crore.The auction is expected to be highly competitive, with franchises looking to build stronger units for the upcoming season. The availability of star players like Sehrawat and Narwal will add further excitement to the proceedings.