Nothing special if Pakistanis allowed or rejected in PKL, says Anup Kumar

Indian Kabaddi team captain Anup Kumar on Monday said he has no problems playing with or against a player from across the border adding that it was the government's call to allow or deny any Pakistan player from taking part in the upcoming fifth season of the VIVO Pro Kabaddi League (PKL).

Anup's comment came after 10 Pakistan players found themselves in the draft of the ongoing PKL auctions, of which four are the Overseas B category while the rest six are in Overseas C category.

The auction for only the elite players in A category are currently being held while the players under categories B, C and D will go under the hammer on Tuesday.

Asked whether the participation of Pakistan players in the PKL will create more controversies considering the current political tensions between the two neighbouring countries, Anup replied in the negative.

"As a player, I don't find anything special if a Pakistani plays with or against my team. During a match, it doesn't matter whether we have a Pakistani or Afghan or any other country's player, we only need players who can give their 100 per cent," Anup told IANS after the four new PKL franchisees were revealed here.

"But whether or not any Pakistan player is auctioned, it depends on the franchise owners. Whether they get to participate its the government who can take the call," he added.

Anup, who was retained by the U Mumba franchise is hopeful of having a few fresh faces in his side.

"There are many young exciting talents who are waiting to get picked. Hopefully we can get the best of the lot. The youngsters bring in new energy and fresh ideas whom we the seniors can guide," he said.

On cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who co-owns the Tami Nadu-based franchise, Anup said: "Its great to see a legend like Tendulkar taking interest in Kabaddi. With him as one of the team owners, the popularity of PKL will not only match that of Indian Premier League (IPL) or may go a step further."

The upcoming edition of the PKL is being touted as its biggest season, starting with its most expensive auction with a 10-time increase in the purse over the first season.

This time around the league will be bigger by a good margin as compared to the previous editions given the entry of four new teams into the fold in the likes of Gujarat, Haryana, Chennai and Uttar Pradesh, which will make it total 12 franchises.

All the franchises are allowed to spend maximum Rs four crore each in the auction, while players fall under eight categories, with base price ranging from Rs five lakh to Rs 35 lakh.

Each team will also be required to have a minimum of two foreign players in their squad, with an upper limit of four.

--IANS

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