All You Need to Know About the PKL Season 12 Player Auction

New FBM Rule Introduced as Kabaddi’s Biggest Stars Go Under the Hammer in a Blockbuster Affair

Khel Today Bureau

Mumbai: The highly anticipated Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 12 Player Auction is set to take place on May 31 and June 1, 2025, in Mumbai. With top Indian and international kabaddi stars going under the hammer and teams eager to build their strongest squads, the event promises to be nothing short of a blockbuster.

This year’s Player Auction sees exciting changes, including an updated Final Bid Match (FBM) rule, and features a star-studded player pool with over 500 athletes available for bidding. Among them are elite Indian players like Pawan Sehrawat, Arjun Deshwal, Ashu Malik, and Devank Dalal (PKL 11’s top raider), along with international powerhouses Fazel Atrachali and Mohammadreza Shadloui. Legendary names such as Maninder Singh and Pardeep Narwal also return to the auction table, while Naveen Kumar enters the PKL Player Auction for the first time after six seasons with Dabang Delhi K.C.

What makes the Season 12 Auction so special?

This year’s PKL Player Auction is unlike any other — for the first time in league history, every single champion player from Seasons 1 to 11 is in the auction pool and available for teams to bid on.

Here’s the full list of past champion players now up for grabs:

• Season 1: Maninder Singh

• Season 2: Fazel Atrachali

• Seasons 3, 4, 5: Pardeep Narwal

• Season 6: Pawan Sehrawat

• Season 7: Maninder Singh

• Season 8: Naveen Kumar

• Season 9: Arjun Deshwal

• Seasons 10 & 11: Mohammadreza Shadloui

Whether it’s record-breaking raiders or game-changing defenders, every franchise now has a shot at signing the very players who have defined PKL’s biggest moments. This unique lineup adds a whole new level of intensity and intrigue to the Season 12 Player Auction.

What’s new in this year’s Player Auction?

One of the most significant updates for Season 12 is the revised Final Bid Match (FBM) rule.

Previously, the FBM rule allowed teams to retain a player for only one season. Now, franchises have the option to retain a player for either one or two seasons at the time of exercising their FBM. This change supports longer term squad building and greater team continuity.

How does the new FBM rule work?

When a player who was part of a team in Season 11 receives the highest bid from another franchise, the auctioneer will ask the player’s previous team if they’d like to exercise their FBM.

If they choose to do so, they must immediately raise either the one-season or two-season FBM card — whichever card is raised first will be considered final.

If the team exercises the FBM, the player is awarded to them at the final bid price. If they do not, the player goes to the highest bidder.

How many FBMs does each team have?

The number of FBM cards a team can use is linked to the number of Elite Retained Players (ERPs):

• 6 ERPs retained → 1 FBM

• 5 ERPs retained → 2 FBMs

• 4 or fewer ERPs retained → 3 FBMs

For this year’s Player Auction, all teams can use up to 3 FBMs, except UP Yoddhas, who are eligible for 2 FBMs.

How many players have already been retained?

A total of 83 players have been retained by the 12 PKL franchises ahead of the Player Auction:

• 25 in the Elite Retained Players (ERP) category

• 23 in the Retained Young Players (RYP) category

• 35 in the New Young Players (NYP) category

This leaves a maximum of 217 slots to be filled during the Player Auction.

*What is the squad size and salary purse for each team?*

Each team can have a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 25 players in their squad.

• Each franchise starts with a salary purse of ₹5 crores, adjusted for any players already retained.

• Teams are allowed a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 overseas players in their squads.

Remaining Salary Purse for each Franchise is attached below.

*What are the player categories and base prices?*

Players have been categorized into four groups:

• Category A – ₹30 lakh

• Category B – ₹20 lakh

• Category C – ₹13 lakh

• Category D – ₹9 lakh

Each group is further divided into Raiders, Defenders, and All-Rounders, allowing franchises to shape their squads based on strategic needs.

*Who are the auctioneers?*

• May 31: Day 1 of the Player Auction will be conducted by Charu Sharma, PKL’s co-founder and one of the most prominent and respected personalities in Indian sport.

• June 1: Day 2 will be led by Mallika Sagar, who made her PKL auction debut in Season 10. Since then, she has also served as an auctioneer in the IPL and WPL.

*Where can fans watch and follow the Player Auction?*

The Category A & B proceedings will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network and streamed on JioHotstar on May 31 from 7 PM onwards.

For all the LIVE updates on the PKL Season 12 Player Auction for both 31 May and June 1. Visit the LIVE Auction Centre on prokabaddi.com, the Pro Kabaddi Official App, or follow @prokabaddi on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and X.