Latest news with #HaryanaSteelers
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
Haryana Steelers assemble formidable squad at PKL 12 auctions as they aim to defend the elusive title
New Delhi [India], June 3 (ANI): The Haryana Steelers, the reigning champions of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), have reinforced their title defense ambitions by assembling a powerful and well-balanced squad during the PKL Season 12 player auctions held in Mumbai on May 31 and June 1. Under the leadership of Captain Jaideep Dahiya and the strategic acumen of Head Coach Manpreet Singh, the Steelers have combined youth, international flair, and seasoned expertise to build a team primed for success, according to a release from Haryana Steelers. The highlight of the Steelers' auction campaign was the acquisition of star raider Naveen Kumar for a whopping Rs 1.2 crore. Naveen, one of the most consistent and dynamic performers in PKL history, made a name for himself with Dabang Delhi, where he played a pivotal role in their maiden title win in 2022 and earned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award that season. Naveen's career stats underline his stature in the league - with 1,102 raid points, 16 super raids, 66 Super 10s, and a phenomenal 82.13% not-out rate, his presence will significantly bolster the Steelers' offensive arsenal. His defensive contributions (49 tackles, 18 tackle points, 33% success rate) add a versatile edge to his game, making him one of the league's most complete players. In addition to Naveen, the Steelers also shored up their defense with the Rs 30 lakh signing of promising left-corner defender Rahul Ahri, further fortifying a unit that already includes defensive stalwarts Rahul Sethpal and captain Jaideep Dahiya. The franchise retained 10 key players ahead of the auction, demonstrating faith in their championship-winning core, while also bringing in 10 new faces to refresh and strengthen the squad. Retained Players: Rahul Sethpal, Vinay Tevathia, Shivam Patare, Jaideep Dahiya, Jayasoorya NS, Vishal Tate, Sahil, N Manikandan, Vikas Ramadas Jadhav, and Ankit Dhull. New Buys: Naveen Kumar (Rs 1.2 crore), Rahul Ahri (Rs 30 lakh), Shahan Sha Mohammed (Rs 13 lakh), Ghanshyam Roka Magar (Rs 13 lakh), Ashish (Rs 15 lakh), Hardeep Kandola (FBM - Rs 13 lakh), Ritik Gurjar (Rs 9 lakh), Zubair Malik (Rs 9 lakh), Sachin Dahiya (Rs 9 lakh), and Mayank Saini (Rs 13 lakh). Speaking on the auctions and the squad, Haryana Steelers' head coach Manpreet Singh said, 'The auctions went well for us, and I'm happy to say we were able to achieve around 85% of what we had planned going in. We have brought in some exciting new faces, and there's a healthy mix of youth and experience, especially in our defensive unit. The team's attack is strong, and our focus now will be on building strong coordination within the team to ensure our defence remains rock-solid throughout the season. I'm confident that with the group we have assembled, we will be able to give our best--just like last season--and fight hard to retain the title,' as quoted from a release by Haryana Steelers. Meanwhile, Haryana Steelers' CEO Divyanshu Singh also shared his thoughts on the auction and stated, 'Our priority going into the PKL Season 12 auction was to retain the core squad that played a crucial role in helping us lift our maiden PKL trophy last season. We are very pleased with how things turned out. It was a moment of joy for us to bring in a stellar player like Naveen Kumar--he's been one of the most valuable and consistent performers in the league, and his presence will significantly boost our raiding unit.' 'We also managed to strengthen our defensive corners by signing promising young talent Rahul Ahri, who has shown great potential, and bringing back Hardeep, which gives us added depth and continuity. Reacquiring Ashish, who was part of our 2023 squad, was another key move--we know what he brings as a versatile all-rounder. Overall, we're confident that we've built a strong, balanced squad. The focus now is not just on defending our title, but also on building a legacy for the Haryana Steelers,' he concluded. Complete squad of Haryana Steelers for PKL 2025Raiders (9): Naveen Kumar, Shivam Patare, Vinay Tevathia, Shahan Sha Mohammed, Ghanshyam Roka Magar, Mayank Saini, Jayasoorya NS, Vishal Tate, Vikas Jadhav Defenders (9): Jaideep Dahiya, Rahul Sethpal, Rahul Ahri, Ritik Gurjar, Zubair Malik, Hardeep Kandola, Ankit Dhull, Sachin Dahiya, N Manikandan All-rounders (2): Ashish Narwal, Sahil Narwal. (ANI)
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Business Standard
PKL 2025: Check full list of players retained by all teams before auction
The excitement is building for the upcoming Season 12 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL)—that is, PKL 2025—as the league officially announced the list of 'Elite Retained Players', 'Retained Young Players', and 'New Young Players' on Saturday. With the Season 12 auction scheduled to take place on May 31 and June 1 in Mumbai, all 12 franchises are gearing up to revamp their squads in pursuit of PKL glory. While most teams have secured the services of their top performers, fans can expect fierce bidding wars with over 500 players—domestic and international—set to go under the hammer. This includes some of the league's most prominent stars and exciting new prospects, making it one of the most anticipated PKL auctions to date. Top players retained ahead of PKL 12 Ahead of the mega auction, several franchises have ensured continuity by retaining key players. U Mumba retained Sunil Kumar and Iranian sensation Amirmohammad Zafardanesh, while Haryana Steelers held on to defensive stalwart Jaideep Dahiya. UP Yoddhas retained star raider Surender Gill, and Puneri Paltan secured their dynamic duo of Aslam Inamdar and Mohit Goyat. A total of 83 players have been retained across three categories: 25 in the Elite Retained Players (ERP) category, 23 in the Retained Young Players (RYP) category, and 35 in the New Young Players (NYP) category. Team Elite Retained Players Retained Young Players Existing New Young Players Bengal Warriors Vishwas S - Yash Malik, Manjeet, Deep Kumar, Sushil Kambrekar Bengaluru Bulls - - Chandranaik M, Lucky Kumar, Manjeet, Pankaj Dabang Delhi K.C. - - Sandeep, Mohit Gujarat Giants Himanshu Singh, Himanshu Parteek Dahiya, Rakesh - Haryana Steelers Rahul Sethpal, Vinay Shivam Anil Patare, Jaideep, Jaya Soorya NS, Vishal S. Tate Sahil, Manikandan N, Vikas Ramadas Jadhav Jaipur Pink Panthers Reza Mirbagheri Abhishek KS Ronak Singh, Nitin Kumar, Sombir, Ritik Sharma Patna Pirates Hamid Mirzaei Nader, Thiyagarajan Yuvaraj Sudhakar M Ayan, Navdeep, Deepak, Sahil Patil Puneri Paltan Abinesh Nadarajan, Gaurav Khatri, Pankaj Mohite Aslam Mustafa Inamdar, Mohit Goyat, Dadaso Shivaji Pujari, Aditya Tushar Shinde Tamil Thalaivas Moein Shafaghi, Himanshu, Sagar Nitesh Kumar, Narender, Ronak, Vishal Chahal, Aashish Anuj Kaluram Gawade, Dhiraj Ravindra Bailmare Telugu Titans Shankar Bhimraj Gadai, Ajit Pandurang Pawar Ankit, Praful Sudam Zaware Sagar, Chetan Sahu, Nitin, Rohit U Mumba Sunil Kumar, Rohit, Amir Mohammad Zafardanesh, Satish Kannan Mukilan Shanmugam Ajit Chouhan, Deepak Kundu, Lokesh Ghosliya, Sunny UP Yoddhas Sumit, Bhavani Rajput, Sahul Kumar, Surender Gill, Ashu Singh Hitesh, Gagana Gowda HR, Shivam Chaudhary Jayesh Vikas Mahajan, Gangaram, Sachin, Keshav Kumar Big names set to enter the PKL 12 auction Also Read Despite the retention of several top performers, the PKL 12 auction pool remains stacked with talent. Notable Indian players like Pawan Sehrawat, Arjun Deshwal, Ashu Malik, and Devank Dalal—PKL 11's top raider—will be among the headline names to watch. Among overseas stars, Iranian defenders Fazel Atrachali and Mohammadreza Shadloui are expected to draw significant interest, alongside veteran Indian raiders Maninder Singh and Pardeep Narwal. Naveen Kumar: A historic first at the auction One of the most intriguing storylines ahead of PKL 12 is the auction entry of Naveen Kumar. The Dabang Delhi K.C. star, who won the league in Season 8, will go under the hammer for the first time in his career. Naveen holds the distinction of being the first player in PKL history to score over 1,000 raid points for a single team before entering the auction. With 1,102 raid points across six seasons, his availability is likely to trigger intense bidding among franchises. For PKL 12, both domestic and international players will be classified into four categories—A, B, C, and D—with further divisions based on roles: raiders, defenders, and all-rounders. The base prices for each category are: Category A: ₹30 lakh Category B: ₹20 lakh Category C: ₹13 lakh Category D: ₹9 lakh Each team will have a total salary purse of ₹5 crore to build their squad.
India Today
16-05-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Pro Kabbadi League Season 12 auction to take place in Mumbai on May 31, June 1
The Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 auction is all set to take place on May 31 and June 1 in Mumbai, the organisers of the the competition confirmed on Friday, May 16. The season 12 comes on the back of a successful 2024 campaign which saw the Haryana Steelers become champions for the first time after beating Patna Pirates in the final. advertisementThe league, which began in 2014, will enter its 11th season and PKL has already seen 8 different champions. As PKL enters its second decade, the league has been solidified as one of the most-watched and premier sporting leagues, enabling sustained growth and interest in the on the upcoming auction, Mr. Anupam Goswami, Business Head of Mashal and League Chairman of Pro Kabaddi League said the event will be a launch pad for the teams to demonstrate their strategy, determination and ambition to become top performers for the new campaign. Mr. Goswami also feels that the auction shows the wealth of global talent in Kabaddi and they're looking forward to see how teams tap into the rich talent pool to build the squads for the new season. advertisement'We are happy to announce the dates for the PKL Season 12 Player Auction. The PKL Player Auction is the launch-pad for our teams to demonstrate their strategy, determination, and ambition to become high-performers for the upcoming Season. It also serves as a platform to showcase the wealth of global talent for India's indigenous sport. We look forward to seeing how teams tap into our rich talent pool to build their squads at the upcoming PKL Season 12 Player Auction,' said Mr. Goswami in the statement. The 2024 auction was a record-breaking event with a total of eight players crossing the one-crore mark. Sachin Tanwar, who was bought by the Tamil Thalaivas for Rs. 2.15 Crore, was the most expensive player last year in the auction.
