Arjun Deshwal was in the training camp when the Pro Kabbadi League (PKL) Season 8 player auctions were taking place in Mumbai on Tuesday morning. He was watching the live telecast of the proceedings on TV as players one after another went under the hammer. It was nerve-wracking for Deshwal but once he was sold to the Jaipur Pink Panthers for a whopping ₹ 96 Lakh, the nerves turned into jubilation.
"I was in the camp with my friends Monu, Mahender (among others). We were watching the auction together. When my name came up, I think my heart stopped beating for a second. When I saw I went to Jaipur for 96 lakh, I could not believe it for a moment at first. Everyone there started congratulating me and then I told my family members at home and they felt very happy," Arjun told Hindustan Times in an interview.
From playing three games (and scoring just 4 points) in season 6 to bagging close to a crore, Deshwal's fortunes have drastically changed and changed for the better. To say the least, while he did expect to fetch good money after having a fruitful senior nationals campaign, never did he envision this amount.
"No, I did not think (of an amount) this big, at least not at the time. But when I played the senior nationals, I performed really well. So, when I went into the auction this time, even my family members asked me to wait and see what happens. Obviously, I was a bit worried about going for a low price but I never thought the amount would go so high," said Deshwal while letting out nervous laughter.
{{/usCountry}}"No, I did not think (of an amount) this big, at least not at the time. But when I played the senior nationals, I performed really well. So, when I went into the auction this time, even my family members asked me to wait and see what happens. Obviously, I was a bit worried about going for a low price but I never thought the amount would go so high," said Deshwal while letting out nervous laughter.
{{/usCountry}}There was no end to Deshwal's happiness and he was very open in conveying his feelings throughout. "Very happy, I am feeling very happy. You can't even imagine how happy I am to become a part of the Jaipur Pink Panthers," added Deshwal.
The amount, while looking at it from the lens of reality, shouldn't come as too big a surprise. In season 7, for U Mumba, Deshwal accumulated 106 points in 19 games in the presence of other prominent raiders in Abhishek Singh, Navneet, and Rohit Baliyan. He made a place for himself only to find a place in the JPP squad two years later.
As it turns out, he was hoping for it to happen and his prayers were answered. When asked what was going through his mind when the Mumbai-based team released him, he said: "The thought of not playing for Mumba again never occurred to me. It was never like that. I would have happily played but I have been wishing to play for Jaipur since last year. I was constantly praying to God that I get a chance to play with this team and he heard my prayers."
The Jaipur outfit, captained by the league's No.1 all-rounder Deepak Niwas Hood, is owned by famous Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan. "With great power comes great responsibility" and Deshwal has already set a clear goal in his mind for the upcoming season.
"I hope to win gold with the Jaipur Pink Panthers. We have experienced players like Deepak Hooda, Amit Hooda, and Sandeep Dhull. I want to give my hundred percent and work as hard as possible. Our main aim is to win gold," concluded Deshwal.