Devank Dalal retained by Bhiwani Bulls as KCL franchises keep 10 players

Devank Dalal, the most expensive player of the previous Kabaddi Champions League season, will stay with Bhiwani Bulls for Season 2. He was one of 10 players retained by five KCL franchises, according to the retention lists reported on Thursday, 15 October, ahead of the player auction on Saturday, 17 October.

Ashu Malik was the other big name on the list. He will continue with Hisar Heroes, who kept only one player. The retained players will form the core of each squad, and the franchises will use the auction to fill the remaining places.

Bhiwani Bulls hold on to their record buy

Bhiwani Bulls made Devank their priority, which was no surprise given what they paid for him. He was the costliest player of the previous KCL season, with the Bulls securing his services through a winning bid of Rs 19.2 lakh. Alongside Devank, Bhiwani also retained Sourav Sanjay.

Devank said he was pleased to continue with the franchise.

“Being retained by Bhiwani Bulls for Season 2 is a matter of pride and motivation for me. I am grateful to the franchise for the trust it has shown in me and will continue to work hard and contribute to the team’s success,” he said.

Gurugram Gurus keep the biggest core

Gurugram Gurus were the only franchise to retain three players, entering the new season with Rahul Setpal, Mandeep Kumar and Sahil Jagveer. Karnal Kings and Panipat Panthers kept two each, as did Bhiwani, while Hisar Heroes went into the auction with Ashu Malik alone.

That leaves Hisar with the most places to fill on 17 October, while Gurugram head into the auction with the largest retained group of the five sides.

The franchise-wise retentions:

• Karnal Kings: Akshit Dhull, Harsh Vedpal
• Bhiwani Bulls: Devank Dalal, Sourav Sanjay
• Hisar Heroes: Ashu Malik
• Panipat Panthers: Narender Kandola, Vishal Narwal
• Gurugram Gurus: Rahul Setpal, Mandeep Kumar, Sahil Jagveer

League chairman stresses continuity

KCL chairman Balwan Singh said the retentions would help teams keep a settled base as they build towards the new season.

“Player retention is an important step towards building strong, balanced and competitive teams for Season 2. The confidence shown by franchises in their retained players reflects the importance of consistency and team combinations in kabaddi,” Singh said.

The emphasis on combinations is a recognisable theme in kabaddi, where raiders and defenders who have played together tend to read each other better, and the five franchises have clearly chosen to carry some of that understanding into Season 2 rather than start from scratch.

Auction on 17 October fills the rest

With the retentions confirmed, attention now turns to the auction on Saturday, 17 October, where the franchises will complete their squads around the players they have kept. Devank’s Rs 19.2 lakh from last season stands as the benchmark price that bidders will be measured against.