Siddharth Sirish Desai (born 5 December 1991) is an Indian kabaddi player, who last represented Pro Kabaddi franchise Haryana Steelers . He had previously represented Air India and Maharashtra before making his Pro Kabaddi debut in Season 6 with U Mumba. Desai emerged as the highest-priced player during the Season 7 auction, as Telugu Titans secured his services with a bid of ₹1.45 Crore. He is one of the most decorated kabaddi players in India.
Early life Desai comes from a family of kabaddi enthusiasts, as both his father and brother, Suraj, are known to have participated in the sport. Although he dedicated himself to kabaddi from a young age, Desai also prioritized his academic pursuits with the guidance and support of his parents and brother. After completing his 12th-grade studies in science, Desai graduated from college with a BSc degree in physics. In addition to kabaddi, Desai has a passion for playing the guitar and singing. He finds the instrument to be a stress reliever and often dedicates at least an hour per day to playing it. Desai even has a YouTube channel where he uploads some renditions of his favourite songs.
PKL career Season 6
After showcasing his skills during a successful tournament with Maharashtra at the Nationals, Desai received an opportunity to compete in Pro Kabaddi. He experienced a notably successful debut season with U Mumba, achieving several milestones. Desai became the quickest rookie to accumulate 200 raid points, achieving this feat in just 21 appearances with a total of 218 raid points. He also holds the record for being the fastest player to reach 50 raid points, tied for the fastest to reach 100 raid points, and boasted an impressive strike rate of 89.13% in Do-Or-Die raid attempts.
PKL auction prices Season Club Year Sold price Ref VIU Mumba 2018 ₹36.40 Lakh VIITelugu Titans 2019 ₹1.45 Crore VIII2021₹1.30 CroreIX2022₹20.00 LakhXHaryana Steelers2023₹1.00 CroreXIDabang Delhi K.C2024₹26.00 LakhTotal4.574 Crore
Note - Siddharth Desai was ruled out of PKL 11 due to personal reasons after being auctioned.
Career statistics League Team Season Year Matches Raid points Super 10s Tackle points Total pointsPro Kabaddi LeagueU Mumba VI 2018 21 218 12 3 221Telugu Titans VII 2019 22 217 10 3 220VIII20213342135IX20221714262144Haryana SteelersX202317824082Total80693349 702
Records and achievements VIVO Pro Kabaddi Best Debutant (2019) 2023–24 PKL: Runner up
References