Mithun Manjunath, the national champion, was the highest bidder in the Grand Prix Badminton League (GPBL) players’ auction. The GBPL Season 2 will take place from August 27 to September 9. The 25-year-old Bengaluru native, who had just upset world No.7 Loh Kean Yew at the Australian Open, was bought by the Chennai Superstarz for a whopping Rs 14.5 lakhs following a bidding battle with the Bengaluru Tigers.
Mithun, with a starting price of Rs 8 lakh, belongs to the icon category. In addition, up to 15 international players were selected. Shin Baek Cheol was the second-highest buy, with Bengaluru Tigers paying Rs 14 lakhs for the Republic of Korea shuttler.
Cheol’s compatriot Lee Dong Keun was signed for Rs 13 lakhs by Gujarat Lions. Northeast Rhinos paid Rs 10 lakhs for World Championships bronze medalist B Sai Praneeth. Polina Buhrova of Ukraine was the fifth-highest buy, picked by Mumbai Wolves for Rs 9 lakhs.
The player purse for each of the eight teams — Bengaluru Tigers, Hyderabad Hounds, Chennai Superstarz, Gujarat Lions, Kerala Tuskers, Mumbai Wolves, Pune Panthers, and Northeast Rhinos — was Rs 35 lakh.
Each squad consists of an icon player, at least two Tier-1 players, at least two Tier-2 players, and at least two women players, with the possibility of selecting up to two foreign players.
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