Before the Pro Kabaddi League auctions, Siddharth Desai was hoping that one of the 12 teams will pick him up for a good price. So when the auction began on Sunday, he kept a close eye on the proceedings. Despite the confidence, he heaved a sigh of relief when a franchise raised the paddle when his name came up for auction.

“Amount kabhi nahi socha tha (I had never dreamed about the amount I will get). I just want to be part of the league and play. Before the first paddle is raised there are always nerves,” said Desai.

The tug-of-war between the franchises raised Desai’s price and the player, who had a base price of Rs 30 lakh, was finally sold to Telugu Titans for Rs 1.45 crore – making him the second costliest player in the history of the league. Monu Goyat was bought by Haryana Steelers for Rs 1.51 crore last season.

For a player who began playing the sport professionally only five years back, it was a big leap and Desai had never thought he would make it big. Last year, he was picked for Rs 36.4 lakh by U Mumba.

“I want to thank U Mumba because they gave me a chance to prove myself and now I am here,” Desai said. “It will miss playing for Mumbai because it was team from Maharashtra. But I want to work harder and lead Telugu Titans to the final.”

In a year, Desai has grown from an unknown player to a leader. With U Mumba, he emerged as the top raider; a raider who was too quick for the defenders. He would rack up points with ease and his plays were crucial as U Mumba finished second in the points table of zone A.

The 27-year-old finished as the third best raider in the league and was the second-best in collecting super-raids. He also became the joint record holder with Rahul Chaudhari for being the fastest to reach a 100 raid points in the PKL — in only eight matches.

Desai credits his success to his fitness. From childhood, he has been a freak when it came to exercising. But that was never for kabaddi. His only motive was to look good like Bollywood actor John Abraham.

“I am a big fan of John Abraham. So when I saw him on screen, I wanted to have a physique like him and began working on my body,” he says.

With no gyms in his Chandbagh village in Kholapur, Desai worked in the fields with his parents and later shifted with his uncle in Belgaum.

“There was a good gym so I liked it there. It was not for kabaddi. I was just interested in looking good. Never knew it will one day help me in kabaddi,” he says.

Desai used to play the sport only in villages and did not plan to compete at any major tournament. But when he saw Pro Kabaddi League for the first time in 2013, he decided to give it a shot.

“I used to train in college and the aim was that I get the army job like my brother. But then I shifted to Pune where I played for Air India and later for Maharashtra at the nationals which we won,” he said.

Desai will now be playing with his brother Suraj in the same team.

“Ghar pe sabhi khush hai ki dono bhai khelenge (Everyone at home is happy with the fact that we are playing in the same team). I want to keep improving and play for India one day. I think I can meet John Abraham after then,” he says.