Tennis Premier League: Sumit Nagal bought by Gujarat Panthers, becomes most expensive TPL player

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Mumbai, Oct 2: Sumit Nagal emerged as the most sought-after player in the Tennis Premier League (TPL) Season 5 auction, powered by Clear. Grabbing the largest bid, Nagal became a part of the Gujarat Panthers team under the ownership of Ramku Patgir as they managed to create a well-balanced mix of talent.

The Sahara Star Hotel in Mumbai played host to the auction, witnessing eight franchisees accordingly frame their squads for the forthcoming season.

Regarded as the AITA's top-ranked men's singles player, Nagal was the premier player welcomed to the TPL's fifth season as the top-priced acquisition. With the Panthers securing him at ₹18.5 lakhs, the team also snapped up Karman Kaur Thandi for ₹8.5 lakhs and Mukund Sasikumar, thereby fortifying their ongoing quest to assemble a formidable team.

The incumbent champions Hyderabad Strikers came in with a clarified plan for the auction, captained by Rakul Preet Singh. They spent the highest on Ellen Perez, the veteran Australian player, who the ENN Sport-owned franchise believes could help them achieve a third successive TPL title. They were also able to retain Nikki Poonacha from last season and welcomed Saketh Myneni to complete the lineup.

The Bengaluru SG Mavericks squad fortress was bolstered under the leadership of Sania Mirza and owner Rohan Gupta. They bagged Arina Rodionova for ₹17.1 lakhs, alongside Ramkumar Ramanathan for ₹8.6 lakhs. The roster was completed with Vishnu Vardhan.

Pune Jaguars, led by Sonali Bendre and owner Punit Balan, showcased commendable decisions at the auction, attaining Lukas Rosol and India's Rutuja Bhosale, and lastly bagging Manish Sureshkumar.

Delhi Binny's Brigade, with Malaika Arora as their ambassador, purchased Dennis Novak to their roster for ₹15.2 lakhs, alongside Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan, and Vaidehi Chaudhari to complete their lineup.

The Punjab Tigers, backed by Taapsee Pannu and owner Raminder Singh, shifted their focus towards local talent. However, Conny Perrin became their highest purchase from the auction, along with local players Arjun Khade and Digvijay Pratap Singh.

The Mumbai Leon Army lined up with Ernest Gulbis as their highest purchase, coupled with Sowjanya Bavisetti and Vijay Sundar Prashanth to complete their squad.

The league's newest team, Bengal Wizards, led by Yatin Gupte and Leander Paes, won Maria Timofeeva despite facing stiff competition from Gujarat. They also bagged Sriram Balaji, and Anirudh Chandrasekar.

Co-founder Kunal Thakkur expressed his elation at the culmination of the auctions, setting up an exciting lead to the fifth TPL season which will be held at the Balewadi Stadium in Pune, in association with the All-India Tennis Association (AITA) and Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA), from the 12th of December 2023 till the 17th of December 2023.