PBL Auction: Saina Nehwal Matches Lee Chong Wei as Costliest Player

Top stars Saina Nehwal and Lee Chong Wei were the costliest players at the Premier Badminton League (PBL) auction, fetching a whopping $100,000 (Rs 66.71 lakh approx) each, while Indian shuttlers P V Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth were bought for $95,000 (Rs 63.37 lakh) and $80,000 (Rs 53.40 lakh), respectively, here on Monday.

World No. 2 Saina and former World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei were bought by Awadh Warriors of Lucknow and Hyderabad Hunters respectively for Rs 66,70,745 each in a closed door bidding on Sunday, even though their names were mentioned in the players list which went under the hammer in the open session on Monday.

PV SIndhu and Kidambi Srikanth – Other Top Gainers

Two-time bronze medallist at the World Championship and winner of Macau Open, Sindhu found herself in the middle of an aggressive bidding among Delhi Acers, Mumbai Rockets and Chennai Smashers and she was finally bought by Vijakant’s son Shanmugapandian-owned Chennai Smashers for approx Rs 63,37,207.

World No. 9 Srikanth, who won the Swiss Open and India Super Series this season, attracted fierce bids from Bangalore Top Guns and Mumbai Rockets before being bought by the former for approx Rs 53,40,756.

Indonesian player Tommy Sugiarto, who beat Srikanth in the final of Indonesia Masters Grand Prix Gold last week, was picked by Delhi Acers for $74,000 (approx Rs 49,36,351).