Kochi Blue Spikers secure Shameemudheen for Rs.20 lakh at PVL auction

Shameemudheen was the biggest buy at the Prime Volleyball League Season 5 auction, with Kochi Blue Spikers securing him for ₹20 lakh. Muhammad Nihal C K fetched ₹19 lakh, while Shon T John and Jasjodh Singh went for ₹15.5 lakh each

Hyderabad: Shameemudheen emerged as the biggest buy at the Prime Volleyball League (PVL) Season 5 Player Auction on Monday, with Kochi Blue Spikers securing the blocker for ₹20 lakh. Muhammad Nihal C K was the second-highest buy at ₹19 lakh, while Shon T John and Jasjodh Singh were joint third-highest buys at ₹15.5 lakh each as the league’s 10 franchises strengthened their squads ahead of the new season in Goa.

The standout story of the auction was that 11 players from the recently concluded Guardians Trophy earned bids from PVL franchises. Among them, Suraj Chaudhary emerged as the highest-valued player, with the young blocker being picked up by Calicut Heroes for ₹9.5 lakh. Their performances and subsequent selections reflect the abundance of emerging Indian talent and the growing grassroots ecosystem around the sport, with the PVL’s sustained efforts over the last four years helping create a pathway for young players.

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PVL franchises divided into two pools

The 10 franchises were also divided into two pools for Season 5. Pool A comprises Bengaluru Torpedoes, Calicut Heroes, Ahmedabad Defenders, Chennai Blitz and Mumbai Meteors, while Pool B features Goa Guardians, Telugu Blackhawks, Delhi Toofans, Kolkata Thunderbolts and Kochi Blue Spikers.

Ahmedabad Defenders make five acquisitions

Ahmedabad Defenders made five acquisitions, led by Muhammad Nihal C K (₹19 lakh), while Muhammed Iqbal (₹4 lakh), Shiva Chandel, Dhruv Chaudhari and Ayush Chaudhary (₹3 lakh each) joined the squad.

Defending champions Bengaluru Torpedoes made no purchases, retaining their entire championship-winning squad.

Calicut Heroes make eight signings

Calicut Heroes added eight players, with Sameer Chaudhary (₹10 lakh) their highest buy, followed by Suraj Chaudhary (₹9.5 lakh), Jaskaran Singh (₹9 lakh), Sarthak Singh Jadon (₹7.75 lakh),  Anu James (₹5.5 lakh), Mahendra Dhurwe and Sujith (₹3 lakh each). They also used their Right to Match to retain Sivanessan V for ₹5.75 lakh.

Chennai Blitz, Delhi Toofans strengthen squads

Chennai Blitz secured seven players, headlined by Shon T John (₹15.5 lakh), along with Kunal Das (₹6.25 lakh), Mohammed Zamrud (₹4 lakh), Soham More, Srinath S, S. Vignesh and Surendran S (₹3 lakh each).

Delhi Toofans added Amrinderpal Singh (₹10 lakh), Vikas Maan (₹8 lakh), Ashok Vicky Gujjar and Lal Sujan M V (₹3 lakh each).

Kochi Blue Spikers spend big on Shameemudheen

Goa Guardians made two acquisitions, adding Aman Kumar (₹5 lakh) and Rajat Kumar (₹3 lakh).

Kochi Blue Spikers, meanwhile, made six buys, led by Shameemudheen (₹20 lakh), followed by Angamuthu Ramaswamy (₹9.5 lakh) and Aadith KV, Naveed Khan, Vishesh and Arshak Sinan (₹3 lakh each).

Kolkata Thunderbolts, Mumbai Meteors make additions

Kolkata Thunderbolts secured six players, with Jasjodh Singh (₹15.5 lakh) their biggest acquisition, alongside Ashok Bishnoi and Aditya Rana (₹5 lakh each), Janshad U and Venu C (₹4 lakh each) and Pawan Singh (₹3 lakh).

Mumbai Meteors added Prince (₹5.5 lakh) and Mritunjoy Mahanta (₹5 lakh).

Telugu Blackhawks retain Niyas Abdul Salam

Telugu Blackhawks strengthened their squad with Tanish Choudhary (₹14 lakh), Vinit Kumar (₹8 lakh), Mouhsin PA (₹5 lakh), Hari Prasad B S and Deepak (₹3 lakh each), while exercising their Right to Match to retain Niyas Abdul Salam for ₹4 lakh.lakh.