Pro Kabaddi | Puneri Paltan probable 7 and schedule for PKL 2021
A file image of Puneri Paltan.
|(Twitter)
Despite having some of the best-known faces in kabaddi, in their ranks, Puneri Paltan has emerged as the perennial under-achievers in the Pro Kabaddi League over the years. In 2019, the team finished paltry 10th, and this year would be looking to make amends under coach Anup Kumar.
What happened in 2019
In the 22 matches the team played, they could only secure seven wins, with 12 losses and three ties. It was the debut season of Anup Kumar the coach, and the inexperience in marshaling his troops showed. Even though skipper Surjeet Singh had a decent season as a defender, but he did not seem to get the support of other players.
Auctions 2021
Five players were retained in the team from the last edition, as the management looked to overhaul the core group. In fact, the team did not show faith in any of the top names and went for the likes of Vishal Bhardwaj (60L), Rahul Chaudhari (40L), Baldev Singh (60L), and Nitin Tomar (61L), in the auction. Apart from that six other players were bought by the team.
Expectations
It would be tough to predict how far the team will go in the tournament, but the reputation of coach Anup Kumar is at stake. So the coach will leave no stone unturned to get the best out of his boys. Apart from that, players like Chaudhari and Tomar, who is also the skipper, did not have the best of seasons in 2019, and will be itching to get on the mat. Meanwhile, there are a lot of expectations from youngster Mohit Goyat.
Starting 7
Nitin Tomar (Raider)
Rahul Chaudhari (Raider)
Mohit Goyat (Raider)
Sanket Sawant (Left Cover)
Balasaheb Jadhav (Right Cover)
Vishal Bhardwaj (Left Corner)
Baldev Singh (Right Corner)
Schedule
Dabang Delhi - 23 December
Telugu Titans - 25 December
Patna Pirates - 28 December
Tamil Thalaivas - 31 December
Bengaluru Bulls - 2 January
Gujarat Giants - 5 January
Jaipur Pink Panthers - 7 January
Bengal Warriors - 9 January
U Mumba - 13 January
UP Yoddha - 17 January
Haryana Steelers - 19 January
