Shameemudheen fetched Rs 20 lakh in PVL Season 5 auction

Blocker Shameemudheen was the costliest player at the Prime Volleyball League Season 5 auction on Monday, picked by Kochi Blue Spikers for Rs 20 lakh. The second-highest buy was C K Muhammad Nihal, who went to Ahmedabad Defenders for Rs 19 lakh, while Shon T John and Jasjodh Singh were each bought for Rs 15.5 lakh. Sportstar and The Hindu report that defending champions Bengaluru Torpedoes retained their entire title-winning squad and made no new purchases.

Eleven players from the recent Guardians Trophy earned PVL contracts, with Suraj Chaudhary the highest among them at Rs 9.5 lakh for Calicut Heroes, according to Sportstar. The Hindu adds that Calicut used a Right to Match clause to retain V Sivanessan for Rs 5.75 lakh, while Telugu Blackhawks used theirs for Niyas Abdul Salam at Rs 4 lakh. The 10 franchises have been split into two pools for the new season.

The auction saw active buying by most teams: Ahmedabad acquired five players, Chennai Blitz seven, and Kolkata Thunderbolts six, while Goa Guardians added only two. The league's fifth season will feature Pool A and Pool B, with the fixture schedule yet to be announced.