Six players sold for bids of Rs. 1 crore or more in Mumbai on Wednesday, the first day of the two-day auction for the sixth season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL). It's the first time in the league's history that the auction has seen bids equal or surpass the one-crore mark.
Here's a look at the players that received these record bids:
Monu Goyat (raider) - Rs. 1.51 crore, Haryana Steelers
How he did in 2017
Goyat came of age for three-time defending champions Patna Pirates last year, his 202 total points - of which 191 were raid points - in 26 matches the fourth-highest tally of the season. Goyat's strength lies in his speed and he was often employed by the Pirates as a finisher, scoring last-gasp raids off quick hand touches.
Goyat's 159 successful raids in 365 attempts - with 78 unsuccessful and 128 empty raids - were crucial to the Pirates winning their third consecutive PKL title.
How the bidding went
Goyat was the second-last player to go under the hammer on Wednesday, and it took little time for bids to far exceed the base price of Rs. 20 lakh. Dabang Delhi KC tried their hardest to come out on top in the bidding war that ensued, bringing up the 1.5 crore bid, but it was Haryana whose bid proved out of reach in the end.
His role in 2018
Goyat's qualities will make him one of Haryana's top raiders, his speed and efficiency in attack complemented in defence by the presence of Surender Nada, who was successfully retained by the team for Rs. 75 lakh to become the most expensive Indian defender of the league.
Rahul Chaudhari (raider) - Rs. 1.29 crore, Telugu Titans
How he did in 2017
Individually, Chaudhari had an excellent fifth season, scoring 184 raid points out of a total of 193 in 22 matches. His tally of 175 empty raids was perhaps higher than he would've liked, but he still did well to register 159 successful raids out of 412. Where Chaudhari didn't do as well was in the captaincy department, failing to rally his men out of ineffective, losing patterns. Chaudhari's captaincy had a role to play in the Titans winning just seven out of 22 matches to finish fifth, only above newcomers Tamil Thalaivas, in Zone B.
How the bidding went
Chaudhari was expected to be in demand and the bids for him reflected that. Once again, it was Delhi who upped the ante, pushing his cost to Rs 1.29 crore, which turned out to be the final bid even though it seemed for a second as if U Mumba would surpass it. However, the Titans then exercised the Final Bid Match (FBM) card, a limited-use option introduced this year that allows franchises to retain a player who played for them last season by matching the highest bid for that player.
His role in 2018
It remains to be seen if Chaudhari will continue as captain, but if he does, the pressure will be on him to ensure the Titans perform better than they did last season and justify his price tag, in addition to keeping up his individual brilliance.
Deepak Niwas Hooda (raider) - Rs. 1.15 crore, Jaipur Pink Panthers
How he did in 2017
Hooda was brilliant as a raider for Puneri Paltan, scoring the most with the hand touch and finishing among the top 10 last year with 172 raid points out of a total of 186. He did just as well as a captain, leading Pune to the playoffs where his team lost to the Pirates. His best performances came under pressure, while his strength, sharpness and agility helped him to contribute in both attack and defence.
How the bidding went
Starting at a base price of Rs. 20 lakh, bids for Hooda were aggressively driven up by Jaipur Pink Panthers, who made Hooda the first Indian player to receive a bid in excess of a crore.
His role in 2018
Hooda's role at Jaipur will be to carry on in the same vein as he did at Pune. However, Hooda must also make sure he doesn't put all the raiding pressure on himself.
Nitin Tomar (raider) - Rs. 1.15 crore, Puneri Paltan
How he did in 2017
Tomar scored 167 raid points out of a total of 177 last year, with his and Rishank Devadiga's individual efforts largely responsible for taking UP Yoddha into the playoffs, where they were eliminated in the first game. Like Chaudhari, Tomar too wasn't as effective in his captaincy as he was individually.
How the bidding went
Tomar, who was the most expensive player at last year's auctions with a bid of Rs. 93 lakh, joined Hooda as the most expensive on Wednesday, even if only for a short while. After Pune chose not to use their FBM to retain Hooda, they needed a new raider and they aggressively pursued Tomar, with UP choosing not to retain him.
His role in 2018
It's unclear if Tomar will captain Pune, but even if he doesn't, he will be expected to more or less replicate Hooda's efforts, both individually and as a leader.
Rishank Devadiga (raider) - Rs. 1.11 crore, UP Yoddha
How he did in 2017
Devadiga's 165 raid points in 21 outings was the biggest reason for UP making the playoffs in their debut season.
How the bidding went
Delhi were once again thwarted by the FBM in their attempts to acquire a star raider, with UP this time exercising the option after having chosen not to retain Tomar.
His role in 2018
It's likely that the bulk of UP's raiding responsibilities will now have to be shouldered by Devadiga.
Fazel Atrachali (defender) - Rs. 1 crore, U Mumba
How he did in 2017
Iran's Atrachali scored 57 tackle points in 24 matches and teamed up with compatriot Abozar Mighani to create a defence that played a crucial role in Gujarat Fortunegiants going all the way to the final in their debut season.
How the bidding went
Atrachali was the subject of a fierce bidding war between U Mumba and Jaipur, with the former coming out on top in the end.
With Gujarat, Atrachali was smart with the captaincy, knowing how to get the best out of his players. Atrachali, who became the first defender to score a 100 tackle points in the PKL, uses his body blocks effectively and defence will continue to remain his primary role.
His role in 2018
With Gujarat, Atrachali was smart with the captaincy, knowing how to get the best out of his players. Atrachali, who became the first defender to score a 100 tackle points in the PKL, uses his body blocks effectively and defence will continue to remain his primary role.