Pro Kabaddi: Can bottom placed Patna Pirates revive their fortunes?

Patna Pirates captain Rakesh Kumar

Things have looked bleak for Rakesh Kumar and company in Star Sports Pro Kabaddi. Four matches into the tournament and the Pirates lie at the far end of the points’ table with just one win. The Telugu Titans beat them comprehensively in their last match. Playing at their home ground, one would have expected a lot more from last year’s semi-finalists. Where have they gone wrong?

Reliance on individuals

With Rakesh Kumar looking out of sorts, cutting Patna’s raid threat primarily comes down to keeping all-rounder Sandeep Narwal in check. When you look at the top three teams in the points table, U Mumba, Telugu Titans and Bengaluru Bulls – All these teams have three if not four raiders who constantly pose a threat to opposition defenders. In Patna’s case, apart from Sandeep, the raiders just haven’t managed to break apart opposition defences.

The team, unfortunately, boasts of a high percentage of empty raids which adds pressure during the do-or-die situations. This is when opposition defenders have a field day due to the added demands on Patna’s raiders. It’s not surprising then to see Sandeep, the lone player from the Pirates to feature on any top five lists. The 22-year-old has a successful tacking percentage of 66%. This puts him fifth on the list.

Rakesh Kumar’s sub par performance affecting team-mates

As clichéd as it might sound, captains lead by example. But the man who was supposed to lead the team looks a shadow of the player he is when with the Indian team. Attacking-wise, the veteran seems to be playing it safe and rarely has he been seen going for the kill during his raids.

As much as he loves the “Lion Jump”, the man who has led the Indian kabaddi team on a few occasions has hardly had the chance to execute it this season. This has affected the rest of the team, too. Defensively, the team doesn’t function as one unit. Without Rakesh’s leadership, it’s simple to understand why Patna’s relatively young squad is finding it increasingly difficult to go that extra mile.

Turnaround possible

The tournament has just begun and definitely not all is lost for the Pirates. Their next three matches against Delhi, Pune and Bangalore are all at home. If they manage to transform into the cohesive unit they are known for, a windfall gain is on the cards. Their 33-year-old captain knows a thing or two about comebacks having played the game since 1997.