Maharashtra captain and all-rounder Shankar Gadai was bought by Gujarat Giants for a whopping Rs 30.30 lakh in  Saturday’s Pro Kabaddi League player auction in the city. This newspaper reported on Friday how Gadai, 24, earned his crust by working at a sugarcane farm in Bhenda Budruk village of Ahmednagar district.

Like it happens at IPL auctions, there was intense bidding. Bengal Warriors initiated the bidding for Gadai, whose base price was Rs 10 lakh. Tamil Thalaivas then came into fray, but eventually it was the Gujarat outfit which succeeded in getting the Maharashtra captain. “I never thought about getting this much. I am speechless, can’t express my feelings. I will give my best in every match [at the October tournament]. I thank mid-day for highlighting my struggles at the right. I think it played a huge role in three teams bidding for me at the auction. I got a lot of calls from Mumbai and other cities on Friday, enquiring about my difficulties,” Gadai told Sunday mid-day from Bhenda Budruk.