The Grand Prix Badminton League (GPBL) Season 2 players’ auction witnessed national champion Mithun Manjunath emerge as the highest bid, becoming the Chennai Superstarz’ prized acquisition for a substantial Rs 14.5 lakhs after a heated bidding rivalry with the Bengaluru Tigers. Mithun, a 25-year-old from Bengaluru, who recently surprised world No.7 Loh Kean Yew at the Australian Open, holds the icon status in the league with a base price of Rs 8 lakh.
Notably, Shin Baek Cheol from the Republic of Korea was the second-highest purchase, secured by the Bengaluru Tigers for Rs 14 lakhs. Lee Dong Keun, another Korean shuttler, was chosen by the Gujarat Lions for Rs 13 lakhs, and B Sai Praneeth, the World Championships bronze medallist, was acquired by Northeast Rhinos for Rs 10 lakhs.
Ukraine’s Polina Buhrova, the fifth most expensive acquisition, was drafted by the Mumbai Wolves for Rs 9 lakhs. The draft process involved selecting 80 players from a pool of 150 to represent the eight teams in the forthcoming season of the GPBL.
With more than 500 players registering for the auction, each of the eight teams—Bengaluru Tigers, Hyderabad Hounds, Chennai Superstarz, Gujarat Lions, Kerala Tuskers, Mumbai Wolves, Pune Panthers, and Northeast Rhinos—had a player purse of Rs 35 lakhs. The team composition consists of an icon player, a minimum of two Tier-1 players, a minimum of two Tier-2 players, and a minimum of two women players, with the flexibility of selecting up to two international players.
Scheduled to take place from August 27 to September 9, the GPBL Season 2 promises an exciting showcase of top-tier badminton talent and fierce competition as the teams battle it out for supremacy in the league. The dynamic roster of players and the extensive selection process have set the stage for an enthralling and competitive season ahead.
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