500 players, a new FBM rule and Dabang Delhi's 4.56 crore purse: the PKL Season 12 auction lands May 31
The Pro Kabaddi League's biggest mid-year event lands in Mumbai on May 31 and June 1, when all 12 franchises walk into the Season 12 player auction with over 500 names in the pool, a 5 crore starting purse each, and a tweaked retention rule that could change how teams build through the weekend.
83 players retained, more than 500 in the pool
Franchises have finalised their pre-auction squads. A total of 83 players have been retained across three categories: 25 Elite Retained Players, 23 Retained Young Players, and 35 New Young Players. The headline retentions include U Mumba's captain Sunil Kumar alongside Iranian all-rounder Amirmohammad Zafardanesh, Haryana Steelers' defensive anchor Jaideep Dahiya, UP Yoddhas raider Surender Gill, and Puneri Paltan's duo of Aslam Inamdar and Mohit Goyat.
That leaves more than 500 players in the auction pool, split across domestic and overseas groups and divided into four base-price categories from 9 lakh to 30 lakh. The big names on the open market are the story of the weekend.
The marquee pool
Devank Dalal headlines the raiders' list. Patna Pirates released the man who finished Season 11 as the league's top raider with 301 raid points from 426 raids, eight Super Raids and 18 Super 10s, a season that took Patna to the final. Pawan Sehrawat, Arjun Deshwal and Ashu Malik are all back in the pool, and Naveen Kumar enters his first auction after six seasons of being retained by Dabang Delhi.
The overseas pool is thinner but loaded at the top. Iran's Mohammadreza Shadloui and Fazel Atrachali both go under the hammer, two of the most decorated defenders the league has ever seen.
The new FBM rule
The Final Bid Match card was always the auction's most dramatic moment. The change this year is what the card buys you. Until last season, an FBM let a franchise match the highest bid on a player and lock him in for a single season. From Season 12, teams can pick either a one-season or a two-season FBM, choosing which version of the card they raise at the moment of the bid. The two-year option rewards continuity and lets teams plan beyond the immediate window, at the cost of locking up purse for longer.
FBM card allocation depends on retention. Teams with 6 ERPs get one FBM, those with 5 ERPs get two, and teams with 4 or fewer ERPs get three. Only UP Yoddhas land in the middle tier this season; everyone else with a thinner retention list will go to the auction floor with three FBMs to use.
What to watch
Ten days out, the league's economic map already tells most of the story. Dabang Delhi go to the floor with the largest purse at 4.56 crore after releasing Naveen Kumar, Ashu Malik and Yogesh Dahiya, and they will be the table to watch. Bengaluru Bulls and Gujarat Giants both have over 4 crore to spend. UP Yoddhas land at the other end with 1.86 crore left and a 13-strong retained squad, which is why they are the only franchise this season eligible for two FBMs rather than three. By the end of day two on June 1, the Season 12 shape of every team will be visible. The first matches follow on August 29.
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