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PKL Day 2: Category B players cross 5-mn mark with Suraj Desai for Rs 5.25 mn
MUMBAI: With the results of day one, Nitin Tomar had emerged with the highest bid of Rs 9.3 million in the PKL auctions.
It was a day when quite a few bidding records were broken. Manjeet Chillar was the most expensive player in PKL history for the better part of the day. But Tomar came towards the end of the day and swept away his Indian team mate’s price tag. That concluded the bidding for Category A Indian players.
Category B auctions today for Indian players also had many high bids, Suraj Desai went for Rs 5.25 million to Delhi, Jaipur Pink Panthers paid out Rs 5 million for Jaideep Singh and Telugu Titans bid Rs 4.9 million for Nilesh Salunke.
Other players who were picked up today:
Gurvinder Singh sold to Team Haryana for Rs 1.62 million
Wazir Singh sold to Team Haryana for Rs 4.4 million
Mahesh Goud sold to Team UP for Rs 1.5 million
Sombir sold to Tamil Nadu for Rs 1.2 million
Patil Anand sold to Dabang Delhi for Rs 2.05 million
Deepak Narwal sold to Bengal Warriors for Rs 2.55 million
Surender Singh sold to Team UP for Rs 2.85 million
Rohit Bariyal sold to Dabang Delhi for Rs 3.2 million
Prashant Kumar Rai sold to Haryana for Rs 2.1 million
Sachin sold to team Gujarat for Rs 3.6 million
Vikas sold to Telugu Titans for Rs 2.5 million
Rohit Kumar Choudary sold to Puneri Paltan for Rs 2.85 million
Maninder Singh sold to Bengal Warriors for Rs 4.5 million
C. Arun solid to team Tamil Nadu for Rs 1.24 million
Sunil sold to Dabang Delhi for Rs 2.1 million
Suresh Kumar sold to U-Mumba for Rs 3.05 million
Navneet Gautam sold to Jaipur Pink Panthers for Rs 2.4 million
Somvir Shekhar to Jaipur Pink Panthers for Rs 4.55 million
Nardendra Singh to Bengal Warriors at Rs 1.2 million
Amit Sen sold to Patna Pirates for Rs 1.66 million
Gurvinder Singh sold to team Uttar Pradesh for Rs 1.2 million
Vikas Khale sold to Team Gujarat for Rs 1.26 million
Sanket Chavan sold to Jaipur Pink Panthers for Rs 2.4 million
Manish sold to Patna Pirates for Rs 1.2 million
Bajirao Hodage sold to Dabang Delhi for Rs 4.45 million
Manoj Dhull sold to Jaipur Pink Panther for Rs 2.15 million
C Arun sold to team Tamil Nadu for Rs 3.3 million
Sachin Kumar sold to Bengaluru Bulls for Rs 4.6 million
Vinod Kumar sold to Telugu Titans for Rs 4.45 million
No Pakistani player got picked at the auction. A total of 10 players from Pakistan were added to the list of players in the auction – including former Waseem Sajjad, former Patna Pirates defender who had even skippered the squad in a few matches over multiple seasons. But at the auction, none of the 12 franchises put up a bid for any of the candidates from the neighbouring nation.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
