2021 PKL Auction | Arjun Deshwal bags 96-lakh deal, Ajay Thakur and Monu Goyat retained

Pardeep Narwal had already taken the 2021 PKL mega auction by storm, with UP Yoddha handing him an astronomic 1.65 crore deal. Not lagging much behind, Siddharth Desai was retained by the Telugu Titans with a help of the Final Bid Match for a sum of INR 1.30 crore.

While most of the elite players were sold already on Day 2, the final round of auction was mainly highlighted by the second string stars. However, former U Mumba raider Arjun Deshwal grabbed attention, as the raider was deported to Jaipur Pink Panthers for a fee of INR 96 lakh, making him the third most expensive buy in the auction. 

Teleugu Titans and Jaipur Pink Panthers went all out for him, with the parties engaged in a thrilling bid-war. Eventually, the Abhishek Bachchan-owned franchise accelerated to secure the services of Arjun for a shade less than the 1-crore mark. 

Meanwhile, veteran players like Ajay Thakur (Dabang Delhi), Manjeet Chillar (Dabang Delhi) and Monu Goyat (Patna Pirates) were all retained by their respective franchises for decent remunerations. In fact, Monu, who was once the most expensive player in the league with a price tag of 1.51 crore, has seen his current value plunge to INR 20 lakh.