PKL team of the year | Maninder Singh to lead, Naveen Kumar misses out
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We are well into the business end of the PKL season 9, and two teams -- Jaipur Pink Panthers and Puneri Paltan -- have already made it to the semi-finals. But apart from those two, a few more teams have come up with spectacular performances through the season and impressed one and all.
There have been innumerable instances of individual brilliance, that have wowed the crowds till now. So SportsCafe takes a look at the players who have shone the brightest this season, and also make it to the starting seven of the PKL team of the year.
Raiders
Arjun Deshwal - 21 matches - 269 points
Bharat - 20 matches -240 points
Maninder Singh - 20 matches - 222 points
Arjun Deshwal has to be the best raider in the tournament if one sees the last two tournaments. Of course, he has big numbers to show as well, but what really works in his favour also is the fact that he isn't injury-prone and has played tirelessly in the last two seasons. He can get points up front and is not afraid to take on the opposition's defence.
Bharat is somewhat similar in his approach too. With his long reach, he has managed to tackle strong defensive teams like Haryana and Patna. As a second raider in the team, he would be mighty effective, and could also be lethal during do-or-die raids. Meanwhile, Maninder Singh, Bengal's most-trusted man would double up as the team's skipper and third raider.
The strong lad definitely has a presence on the mat, and sometimes that is a bonus on the court. On his day, he could decimate the opposition single-handedly. Meanwhile, Naveen Kumar loses out since he has a knack for getting injured and doesn't have the strongest mat presence.
Defenders
Ankush - 21 matches - 72 points
Jaideep Dahiya - 20 matches - 48 points
Sagar - 17 matches - 45 points
Ashu - 20 matches - 42 points
If there is one player who has impressed the most this year, it has to be Ankush Rathee. The slightly built defender packs a punch and has been one of the main reasons why Jaipur has performed so well. He makes it to the team without the blink of an eye. He will make the left corner. Meanwhile, last year's hero, Sagar will be in the right corner, where he has been tormenting the raiders. On the left cover will be Jaideep and Ashu at the right cover.
