New Delhi | September | Saturday | 19, 2015 :: The 2015 Hockey India League (HIL) Auction saw some young Indian players getting a better deal by franchisees as each wanted them in their team. One such player was Nikkin Thimmaiah who post consistent bidding by various franchisees was finally grabbed by Dabang Mumbai.
The Bengaluru-lad Nikkin Thimmaiah is remembered for his hat-trick against Australia in the 2015 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, where the striker helped his team to register a 4-2 win in the 3rd/4th Classification Match. The talented striker had been a key player of the Uttar Pradesh Wizards (UPW) for the last two seasons as he successfully helped complete the attacking line. With his new team, he will now rub shoulders with Gurmail Singh, Danish Mujtaba, Harmanpreet Singh along with German forward Florian Fuchs, Australian midfielder Matthew Swann and Irish goal-keeper David Harte in the upcoming editions.
Speaking on the HIL Auction 2015, Nikkin Thimmaiah stated, “The price is really unexpected and it was an emotional moment for me as it made me realise that my work is getting recognised. I had wonderful days with Uttar Pradesh Wizards and I am thankful to the franchisee and Coaching Staff to give me ample opportunities to showcase my talent. I am very happy to see the world’s best forward Florian Fuchs of Germany in my team and privilege to play with him for the next two seasons. I am very lucky to be in the same team as Florian Fuchs, Matthew Swann, David Harte, Gurmail Singh, Danish Mujtaba and Harmanpreet Singh. I am looking forward to the upcoming season. What is the most exciting is the new regulation. It is yet to be seen who will take the most advantage of this.”