Haryana Thunders, meanwhile, made a major statement in women\u2019s wrestling by acquiring Olympic medalist Iryna Koliadenko for \u20b944 lakh in the women\u2019s 62 kg category, in addition to Azerbaijan\u2019s Ashirov Ashraf in men\u2019s 86 kg.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Maharashtra Kesari focused on depth and balance, securing Asian Games medallist Deepak Punia in the men\u2019s 86 kg category and Manisha Bhanvala in women\u2019s 57 kg. Punjab Royals signed Dinesh Gulia (\u20b936 lakh), Priya Malik (\u20b929 lakh), and Roksana Zasina across multiple weight categories.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
UP Dominators added to their roster with Nisha Dahiya in women\u2019s 62 kg at the base price and Rahul Dalal in men\u2019s 57 kg, while Tigers of Mumbai Dangal did not register any picks in this round.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The auction process remains ongoing. Wrestlers have been classified into four categories: A+ (Marquee), A, B, and C \u2014 with base prices set at \u20b918 lakh, \u20b912 lakh, \u20b98 lakh, and \u20b93 lakh, respectively. The league is operating with a total purse of \u20b912 crore, with each of the six franchises allocated \u20b92 crore to build squads competing across nine weight categories \u2014 five men\u2019s and four women\u2019s.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Earlier in Round 1, women wrestlers were much in demand, with Japan's Yui Susaki attracting a record bid of \u20b960 lakh from the Haryana Thunders.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Alongside Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Susaki, World Championship medallist Antim Panghal was snapped up by UP Dominators for \u20b952 lakh in the women\u2019s 53 kg category, while Puerto Rico\u2019s Ana Godinez fetched \u20b946 lakh from Punjab Royals in the women\u2019s 62 kg division. Delhi Dangal Warriors added further depth to their squad by securing Azerbaijan\u2019s Anastasiya Alpayeva for \u20b927 lakh in the women\u2019s 76 kg category.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
All Category A+ wrestlers entered the auction with a base price of \u20b918 lakh, but several names saw significant escalations. Among the men, marquee signings included Robert Baran of Poland (\u20b955 lakh) for Maharashtra Kesari and Paris 2024 bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat (\u20b951 lakh) for Tigers of Mumbai Dangal, reflecting sustained demand for proven performers across weight classes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Delhi Dangal Warriors also strengthened their roster with Turan Bayramov from Azerbaijan, while UP Dominators added consistency through Vasyl Mikhailov and Arman Andreasyan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
All Category A+ wrestlers entered the auction with a base price of \u20b918 lakh, but several names saw significant escalations. Among the men, marquee signings included Robert Baran of Poland (\u20b955 lakh) for Maharashtra Kesari and Paris 2024 bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat (\u20b951 lakh) for Tigers of Mumbai Dangal, reflecting sustained demand for proven performers across weight classes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Each team must assemble a squad of nine to twelve wrestlers, including four overseas grapplers (two men and two women), while mandatorily featuring at least one Category C wrestler. With further bidding rounds still to come, franchises are expected to continue fine-tuning their rosters as the PWL 2026 auction progresses.<\/p>\r\n\r\n