With the arrival of the charismatic Anup Kumar as new head coach, optimism will be the buzzword as Puneri Paltan kick start their campaign in season seven of the Pro Kabaddi.
In the six seasons so far, they might have failed to win any silverware but there’s no denying that the past few years have been promising for the franchise, with the exception of last season.
In 2018, they started on a bright note before losing their way midway through the season after injuries to key personnel and ended up finishing fourth in the Zone A points table.
Eight wins were all they could register last season with 649 total points scored throughout their campaign, the second-lowest behind Telugu Titans.
But with a new coach and new captain in Surjeet Singh, they look an exciting team after rehauling their squad.
Past record for Puneri Paltan in Pro Kabaddi
| Season | Result |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | Did not qualify for playoffs, finished last in the league phase |
| Season 2 | Did not qualify for playoffs, finished last in the league phase |
| Season 3 | Finished third, lost to Patna Pirates in the semi-finals |
| Season 4 | Finished fourth, lost to Patna Pirates in the semi-finals |
| Season 5 | Finished second in Zone A, Lost to Patna Pirates in Eliminator |
| Season 6 | Did not qualify for playoffs, finished fourth in Zone A |
Auction report
Before the auctions, the Puneri Paltan team management decided against retaining their key players and chose to shuffle their squad. With a full purse available at the auctions, the Paltan were able to handpick their targets. They retained Nitin Tomat for Rs 1.2 crore using the FBM card. The Paltan bagged absolute bargains for cover defenders Surjit Singh (Rs 56 lakh) and Girish Ernak (Rs 33 lakh).
With a good blend of youth and experience, they have managed to put together a balanced squad. Leaders such as Nitin Tomar and defender Girish Ernak are still present and with the addition of Surjit Singh, Pawan Kumar and Darshan Kadian they look a solid outfit.
Strength
Tomar spearheaded the raiding department last season and that was a key reason behind their successful start last season. And when the Uttar Pradesh player missed games due to injuries, no other raider failed to have the same impact as Tomar had on the mat. But this time around, there is enough support for the top main in the raiding department with the likes of Darshan Kadian, Pawan Kadian and Manjeet who bring in the verve and strength that was earlier missing.
Weaknesses
The responsibility of shouldering the defensive burden will fall on Ernak and Surjit. Iranian Hadi Tajik would have to play in the right corner position, who didn’t have the best of campaigns last season. Youngsters Sagar Krishna and Shubham Shinde are relatively inexperienced, the lack of quality players across the defensive line could be a weakness for the raiders to target.
Coach Report
All eyes will be on Anup Kumar as gears up to prove his mettle as coach following an outstanding career as a player. Kumar, led Jaipur Pink Panthers last season as captain and having played against many players in the league he might well be aware of their strength and weaknesses. Last season’s coach Ashan Kumar could not find the right combination after Tomar’s departure and with the experience and quality, Anup brings, that might just be what Puneri Paltan need.
Player to watch out for: Nitin Tomar
Ever since making his debut three season’s ago, Tomar’s stock has risen exponentially. After becoming the team’s highest buy last season he proved he was worth the price with his attacking exploits. Before an unfortunate injury midway through the season, the Haryana player was the fastest raider to reach 100 raid points in season six. The Paltans used the FBM card to bring back Tomar and if he remains fit the entire season, he has the quality to win games single-handedly.
Full squad:
Raiders: Nitin Tomar, Pawan Kumar, Darshan Kadian, Manjeet
Defenders: Surjeet Singh, Girish Maruti Ernak, Satpal, Jadhav Balasaheb Shahaji, Deepak Yadav
All-rounders: Emad Sedaghat, Hadi Tajik, Amit Kumar, Sagar B Krishna
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