Focus on star players at the upcoming PKL season 9 auctions

KOLKATA: All eyes will be on the upcoming Pro Kabaddi League Season 9 player auctions as some of the biggest names will go under the hammer on Friday and Saturday from 6.30 PM onwards.
The auction this year, to be telecasted Live & Exclusive action on the Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar, will consist of over 500 players with 24 players from the top two teams of the Khelo India University Games.
This year’s auction pool will also witness stars such as ‘Sultan’ Fazel Atrachali, the most decorated international player who was released by U Mumba.
The Iranian defender and erstwhile skipper of U Mumba didn’t have the best of seasons last year having scored 48 tackle points in 22 matches.
Speaking exclusively on Star Sports, former India captain and kabaddi legend Anup Kumar believes the captaincy band needs to be taken off Fazel.
“Fazel’s performances have been severely impacted with the role of captaincy. Take the burden of captaincy off him and he will be a much better player who is able to focus on his game and win his team matches.”
Three-time champions Patna Pirates and runners-up of Season 8 released Sachin Tanwar.
The 23-year-old raider is transforming into a proven match winner and a game changer in the PKL. His ability to turn games on their head for the Patna Pirates garnered praise from Anup Kumar.
“Sachin is such a cool player who places the utmost importance on his performances. He gives his team a lot of confidence and support as he has scored more than 150 raid points thrice in the last four seasons.”
Meanwhile, Haryana Steelers did not retain one of their biggest superstars – Vikas Kandola.
Considered by Anup Kumar as the master of high pressure situations, he has the knack of winning games at the very end.
“Vikas Kandola is a game changer. The number of times he has changed the outcome of games last season is a testament to his performances. He is a great defender as well,” he said.