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PKL 2025 Auction: New FBM rule, champion players pool; all you need to know

The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 12 Player Auction, scheduled for May 31 and June 1 in Mumbai, promises to be a landmark event in the sport's evolution. With over 500 players in the auction pool, including every PKL-winning player from the past 11 seasons, the stakes are higher than ever. The auction isn't just about building squads — it's about rewriting legacies. Teams are eyeing marquee names such as Pawan Sehrawat, Mohammadreza Shadloui and Pardeep Narwal, while fans are eager to see where stars like Naveen Kumar will land after his first-ever auction appearance. Organisers believe the new format and star-studded player pool will add 'unprecedented excitement and strategy' to the auction room. Champion players up for grabs For the first time in PKL history, every title-winning player from Season 1 to 11 is up for bidding. These legends include Maninder Singh (Seasons 1 & 7), Pardeep Narwal (Seasons 3, 4, 5) and Mohammadreza Shadloui (Seasons 10 & 11), among others. The opportunity to sign these proven match-winners is expected to fuel aggressive bidding wars among franchises. FBM rule gets a strategic makeover One of the biggest structural shifts this season is the revamped Final Bid Match (FBM) rule. Unlike before, teams can now retain a player for one or two seasons through FBM. League officials said this adjustment is aimed at enhancing squad continuity. Teams must declare their intent immediately once a former player draws a top bid — and whichever FBM card (one-season or two-season) is raised first will be binding. FBM and retention dynamics The number of FBMs a team can use depends on their Elite Retained Players (ERPs). While most teams are allowed up to three FBMs, UP Yoddhas can use only two. Overall, 83 players have already been retained — 25 as ERPs, 23 as Retained Young Players and 35 as New Young Players — leaving 217 auction spots open. Salary purse, squad limits, and auction format Each team begins with a ₹5-crore purse (adjusted for retentions) and can field a squad of 18 to 25 players, including up to four overseas names. Players are split across four base-price categories: ₹30 lakh (A), ₹20 lakh (B), ₹13 lakh (C) and ₹9 lakh (D), across raiders, defenders and all-rounders. The auction will be hosted by two well-known faces: Charu Sharma, PKL co-founder, returns for Day 1, while Mallika Sagar — now a seasoned auctioneer after her stints in the WPL and IPL — takes over on Day 2.