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Puneri Paltan have been the underachiever of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) despite having some well-known names play for them the last few seasons. The Pune-based team will aim to enter the knockout phase of the tournament under the guidance of Anup Kumar.
During the initial couple of seasons, the Paltan team had only Wazir Singh to depend on in terms of scoring points. However, things changed for the team once they signed Manjeet Chhillar and Ajay Thakur in Season 3. Both have gone on to play well for the Pune-based club.
On that note, here's a look at the best playing 7 from the Puneri Paltan:
Left Corner: Girish Ernak
After playing for the Patna Pirates and Bengal Warriors, Girish Ernak moved to Puneri Paltan in Season 5 and has gone on to become the cornerstone of their defense. He also went on to establish himself as one of the most solid left corner defenders in the league.
Speaking of his record with Puneri Paltan, Ernak led the defense in Season 5 with 64 tackle points. He also went on to claim five High 5s in Season 5, the second-highest tally in that campaign. Overall, Ernak has played a total of 57 matches, scoring 154 tackle points.
Left In: Wazir Singh
The raider needs special mention since he has delivered points when the team struggled to get one against their opponents. His average raid points of 8.67 were the third-best in Season 1, just behind Rahul Chaudhari and Anup Kumar.
Wazir Singh played 23 matches across two seasons, scoring 169 raid points in total.
Left Cover: Manjeet Chhillar
Manjeet Chhillar played two seasons for Puneri Paltan where he looked impressive on the mat. Known for his strong blocking skills, Manjeet was the best defender in Pro Kabaddi League Season 3, scoring 61 tackle points in 15 games for Puneri Paltan.
The very next season, he followed it up with 44 tackle points. Overall, Manjeet Chhillar has played 27 matches, scoring 174 points in total, with 105 tackle points to his name.
Center: Deepak Niwas Hooda
The current captain of the Jaipur Pink Panthers played like a beast during his time at Puneri Paltan but could not lead the Pro Kabaddi team to the final.
He scored 130 points in Season 4 and did even better in Season 5, registering a haul of 186 points. Hooda played a total of 52 matches for the franchise, scoring a total of 392 points, including 367 raid points.
Right Cover: PO Surjeet Singh
Surjeet Singh is known for his blocking and dashing skills, which makes it risky for raiders to get too close to him. He has been part of Puneri Paltan in Season 3 and made a comeback in Season 7, making a great impact.
Surjeet Singh scored 63 tackle points that season, while his other two points came as a raider. Overall, he has played 33 matches for the Paltans, scoring 111 points in total.
Right In: Nitin Tomar
Nitin Tomar has played for Puneri Paltan thrice but injuries have kept him sidelined for most of the time, not allowing him to unleash his true potential. Apart from regular raiding duties, he can also pick up points in the do-or-die situation.
The 2016 Kabaddi World Cup winner was in red-hot form in the sixth season, bagging 102 points from only 11 matches. Speaking of his overall performance, Tomar has played 38 matches for Paltan, scoring 198 raid points.
Click here to view the Pro Kabaddi winners list.
Right Corner: Sandeep Narwal
Sandeep Narwal played for Puneri Paltan in Seasons 5 and 6. He is known for his unpredictable raiding skills but is a very strong defender as well. In the two seasons Sandeep Narwal has donned the orange jersey, he scored 85 and 66 points, respectively.
Talking about his overall performance, Sandeep Narwal has scored 93 points in 39 matches.
