PKL 2024 Auction: Ajith V Kumar to Bhavani Rajput - Top 5 most expensive players on Day 2

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The second day of the Pro Kabaddi League 2024 Auction witnessed intense action with a lot of players getting impressive bids. Though none of them crossed the crore mark, a few players still managed to attract handsome numbers from the franchises.

While on Day 1, the teams went out all guns blazing, the second day looked a bit different as the franchises balanced their budgets while ensuring they secured the right mix of players in their teams.

Ajith V Kumar (Courtesy: @ProKabaddi on X)

As the auction heat intensified, it became evident that the think tank teams were willing to invest heavily in players who could turn the tables on the mat in the pressure moments. That said, let’s take a look at the top five expensive picks on the second day of the PKL 2024 Auction.

5. Bhavani Rajput (UP Yoddhas) - 45 Lakhs

UP Yoddhas signed the promising raider Bhavani Rajput, who hails from Madhya Pradesh, on the second day of the PKL 2024 Auction. He started off his PKL career with the Tamil Thalaivas in 2017, finishing with only three points from four games.

His second season came four years later with the Thalaivas as he amassed 50 points from 21 games. He was part of the title-winning Jaipur Pink Panthers in the PKL 2022 season, scoring 36 points.

His best season came in the 10th edition when he accumulated 65 points in 20 games for the Panthers. However, his side bowed out of the semi-final, missing the title by a whisker.

4. Deepak Rajender Singh (Patna Pirates) - 50 Lakhs

Right cover defender Deepak Rajender Singh’s services have been grabbed by the Patna Pirates for a price of INR 50 Lakhs. He will have Shubham Shinde, Hamid Mirzaei Nader, Gurdeep, Thiyagarajan Yuvaraj, and Manish who will be assisting him with the defense for the Pirates.

Deepak made his PKL debut in 2021 with the Jaipur Pink Panthers, finishing with only 16 points from 14 matches. His second season turned out to be a nightmare as he ended with just two points from three games.

In PKL 2023, he was signed by the Gujarat Giants as he accumulated 47 points from 14 matches with a tackle strike rate of 60 percent.

3. Gurdeep (Patna Pirates) - 59 Lakhs

Defender Gurdeep was roped in by the three-time champions Patna Pirates for a whopping price of INR 59 Lakh. Earlier, he was part of the UP Yoddhas for four consecutive seasons.

He made his debut in the PKL 2019 season, scoring four points. Later for the PKL 2021 season, he was retained as he finished with a total of 17 points. In the last two editions, he accumulated 66 points from 36 games.

2. Jai Bhagwan (Bengaluru Bulls) - 63 Lakhs

The 20-year-old young raider Jai Bhagwan created an intense bidding war on Day 2 of the PKL 2024 Auction as he was successfully signed by the Bengaluru Bulls for an impressive price of INR 63 Lakh.

Bhagwan made his debut in the PKL 2022 season with U Mumba as he added 82 total points to his tally from 19 matches. However, U Mumba settled for the ninth rank in that particular edition. Nevertheless, the young raider was retained by the franchise.

In the 10th season, he was part of 13 games, accumulating 50 total points. U Mumba’s performance continued to dip as they settled for the 10th rank. He was subsequently released ahead of the PKL 2024 Auction.

1. Ajith V Kumar (Puneri Paltan) - 66 Lakhs

Promising raider Ajith V Kumar is set to join his fourth franchise in the PKL 2024 season as Puneri Paltan signed him for a whopping INR 66 Lakhs on the second day of the Pro Kabaddi League 2024 Auction.

Having made his debut with the Tamil Thalaivas in PKL 2019, Ajith finished with a total of 121 points. Later in PKL 2021, he was signed by the U Mumba franchise as he accumulated 159 points.

He propelled the Jaipur Pink Panthers to a title win in the PKL 2022 season with a total of 103 points. In the PKL 2023 season, he continued his services with the Panthers, amassing 82 points from 19 matches as the franchise missed out on the consecutive silverware by a whisker.