Pro Kabaddi | Three debutants who could emerge as stars in PKL 8
Representational image.
|(PKL)
Season 8 of Pro Kabaddi League will be a special one for two reasons. The tournament is happening for the first time in almost two years and was suspended due to Covid-19 in 2020, and the second being; the teams have laid a lot of emphasis on the youngsters who form the core of their units.
Naturally, a lot of new stars will emerge from the league this year. SportsCafe takes a look at some of the debutants who could take the PKL by storm.
Meetu Sharma (Haryana Steelers)
He is one player Steelers would be hoping, clicks early in the tournament. Meetu was a big star in the junior circuit and was awarded the best raider twice in the Junior National Championship. He also performed well at the All India Kabaddi Championship, where he scored 77 raid points, playing for ONGC. While there is no star raider in Haryana ranks, it could be a chance for Meetu to become one.Â
Rajesh Gurjar (Haryana Steelers)
Even though Haryana has established corners like Surender Nada and Shrikant Tewthia, Gurjar is the one to look out for in the upcoming PKL season. In the Senior Nationals, he had the second most tackle points, while in Rajasthan State Championship, he had 19 points from just two games. Although, primarily a left corner, he could be fielded on the right side.Â
Galla Raju Reddy (Telugu Titans)
Raju rose to prominence during the Khelo India Youth Games 2020, and later Telangana Premier Kabaddi League, where he went on to score 130 raid points, and also won the MVP award. The youngster has it in him to become the first local star from the team, which has failed to impress in the last few seasons. He won't be the first choice raider in a team that has the likes of Rohit Kumar and Siddarth Desai, but could be used as a surprise raider.Â
