The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 12 auction introduced significant shifts in team-building philosophies. With a salary purse of ₹5 crore per franchise and over 500 players in the pool, teams employed diverse strategies, balancing marquee signings with emerging talents, and emphasizing squad cohesion. This updated analysis incorporates the final squad compositions and corrects key information from the auction.

Auction Strategies: An Overview
Youthful Investments: Teams increasingly prioritized young, dynamic players, aiming to build squads with long-term potential. This approach reflects a shift towards nurturing talent and ensuring sustainability.

Strategic Retentions and FBM Utilization: Franchises focused on retaining core players to maintain continuity. The Final Bid Match (FBM) cards were employed judiciously to reacquire key performers, ensuring stability and experience within squads.

Targeted Big-Name Acquisitions: While some teams made headline-grabbing purchases, others opted for value buys to address specific gaps, emphasizing a balanced approach over star power.

Team-by-Team Analysis
Bengaluru Bulls
Key Positives:

1. Defensive Overhaul: The Bulls significantly strengthened their defense with Yogesh Dahiya (₹1.125 crore), Ankush Rathee (₹30 lakh), and Sanjay Dhull (₹60 lakh), while retaining Lucky Kumar
2. Balanced Squad Composition: A well-distributed investment across positions with strong depth
3. Strategic Foreign Signings: Added Iranian talents Alireza Mirzaian and Ahmadreza Asgari for international experience

Prospects: With their defensive reinforcement and balanced approach, the Bulls have addressed their previous vulnerabilities and built a squad capable of consistent performances

  U Mumba

  Key Positives:

1.  Youth Investment Strategy: The headline acquisition of Aanil Mohan for ₹78 lakh demonstrates commitment to emerging talent
2.  Core Retention: Successfully retained captain Sunil Kumar (₹1.1165 crore) and key defenders Rinku Sharma (₹21 lakh)
3.  Balanced Spending: Strategic distribution across all departments with foreign reinforcement

Prospects: U Mumba’s youth-centric approach combined with experienced leadership positions them as a team with both immediate potential and long-term sustainability.

Bengal Warriorz

Key Positives:

1. Marquee Signing: Secured Devank Dalal for ₹2.205 crore, making him one of the most expensive signings
2. Defensive Stability: Retained Nitesh Kumar (₹20.25 lakh) and added quality depth
3. International Flavor: Added Korean and Iranian raiders for tactical diversity

Prospects: With Devank leading the raid and a solid defensive structure, the Warriorz have built a balanced squad capable of championship contention.

Patna Pirates

Key Positives:

1. Strong Raiding Core: Built around experienced raiders Deepak Rajender Singh (₹86 lakh) and Ankit Jaglan (₹1.573 crore), providing a potent offensive partnership
2. Defensive Leadership: Retained Sanket Sawant (₹40.5 lakh) as a key defensive anchor with solid cover defense capabilities
3. Youth Integration: Included promising young players like Thiyagarajan Yuvaraj (₹17.4 lakh) and Hamid Mirzaei Nader (₹17.4 lakh)
4. International Experience: Added Iranian and other foreign talents

Prospects: The Pirates have assembled a well-balanced squad with a strong raiding duo of Deepak and Ankit Jaglan, supported by reliable defenders. Their combination of experience and youth, along with strategic foreign additions, positions them as serious playoff contenders with the depth to handle the rigors of a long season.

Gujarat Giants

Key Positives:

1. Game-Changing Acquisition: Signed Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh for ₹2.23 crore, the season’s most expensive buy
2. Strategic All-Rounder Focus: Emphasized versatile players who can contribute in multiple roles
3. Defensive Strength: Built a formidable defensive unit around their marquee signing.

1. Star Retention: Successfully retained Ashu Malik (₹1.90 crore) as their primary raider
2. Defensive Reinforcement: Added quality defenders including Fazel Atrachali (₹30 lakh)
3. Balanced Approach: Maintained competitive strength across all departments

Prospects: Delhi’s retention of key players and strategic additions position them as consistent playoff contenders with championship aspirations.

Tamil Thalaivas

Key Positives:

1. Dual Raider Strategy: Built around Arjun Deshwal (₹1.405 crore) and Pawan Sehrawat (₹59.5 lakh)
2. Defensive Continuity: Retained key defensive personnel for stability
3. International Talent: Added Iranian defender Alireza Khalili for tactical diversity.

Prospects: The Thalaivas have created a potent attacking unit while maintaining defensive solidity, positioning them as strong playoff contenders.

Haryana Steelers

Key Positives:

1. Defensive Leadership: Retained Rahul Sethpal (₹72.83 lakh) and Jaideep Dahiya (₹37.5 lakh)
2. Raiding Depth: Balanced investment in multiple raiding options
3. Strategic Retentions: Maintained core team structure for continuity

Prospects: The Steelers have built a well-balanced squad with strong defensive foundations and multiple raiding options.

UP Yoddhas

Key Positives:

1. Marquee Raider: Secured Guman Singh for ₹1.073 crore as their primary attacking weapon
2. Defensive Strength: Built a solid defensive unit with experienced players
3. Balanced Composition: Strategic investment across all positions

Prospects: The Yoddhas have maintained their reputation for strong squad building with a team capable of consistent playoff appearances.

Puneri Paltan

Key Positives:

1. Retained Core: Successfully kept Aslam Inamdar (₹37.5 lakh) and Mohit Goyat (₹25 lakh)
2. Strategic Addition: Acquired Sachin Tanwar (₹1.058 crore) for additional raiding firepower
3. Balanced Squad: Maintained strength across all departments

Prospects: The Paltan have created a formidable squad with multiple raiding options and solid defensive backing.

Jaipur Pink Panthers

Key Positives:

1. Defensive Leadership: Secured experienced defender Reza Mirbagheri (₹66.21 lakh) as a cornerstone of their defensive setup, complemented by Abhishek KS (₹16.3 lakh) for left cover defense
2. Strategic Acquisitions: Added quality performers like Nitin Kumar Dhankhar (₹1.002 crore) for raiding depth and Manjeet Dahiya (₹40 lakh) for additional firepower
3. All-Round Strength: Brought in versatile player Nitin Rawal (₹50 lakh) and corner defender Aashish Kumar (₹27 lakh) for tactical flexibility

Prospects: The Panthers have built a competitive squad with good depth and experience across positions. Their strategic blend of retained stars like Nitin Kumar Dhankhar and Manjeet Dahiya, combined with quality defensive additions and emerging talent, positions them as strong playoff contenders with the depth and versatility to compete consistently throughout the season.

Telugu Titans

Key Positives:

1. Strategic Leadership: Built around experienced all-rounder Bharat Hooda (₹81 lakh) and defensive anchor Shubham Shinde (₹80 lakh) for core stability
2. Versatile All-Round Strength: Acquired Vijay Malik (₹51 lakh) as a key all-rounder, providing tactical flexibility across multiple positions
3. Raiding Depth: Added multiple raiding options including Ashish Narwal (₹15.7 lakh) and promising talents like Manjeet (₹13 lakh) and Jai Bhagwan (₹13 lakh)

Prospects: The Titans have adopted a conservative yet strategic approach, building around the experienced trio of Bharat Hooda, Shubham Shinde, and Vijay Malik. Their substantial remaining purse provides flexibility for mid-season acquisitions or injury replacements.

Conclusion
The PKL Season 12 auction revealed diverse team strategies, with franchises balancing star power, youth development, and squad depth. The final squad compositions show that teams have largely succeeded in addressing their specific needs while maintaining competitive balance. Gujarat Giants’ record investment in Shadloui and Bengal Warriorz’s acquisition of Devank represent the season’s biggest strategic moves, while teams like U Mumba and Telugu Titans have focused on building for sustained success.As the season unfolds, the effectiveness of these contrasting approaches will determine which strategies prove most successful on the kabaddi mat