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The seventh edition of the Pro Kabaddi League is set to commence on the 20th of July 2019 which will feature 12 teams battling it out for the ultimate glory in a three-month-long format.
The 12 teams will battle against each other in a brand new double round-robin format with Telugu Titans hosting U Mumba in the first game of the season. As seen in previous editions, raiding is an important element in each of the teams and a franchise with a strong raiding unit usually makes it to the playoffs.
This season too, teams have roped in some quality raiders with the likes of Rahul Chaudhari (Tamil Thalaivas) and Jang Kun Lee (Patna Pirates) set to play for only their second franchise in the history of the league.
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Apart from this, all eyes will be on young raiding sensation Siddharth Desai, whose services were procured for a sum of ₹1.45 Crore by the Telugu Titans.
On that note, here are three teams with the strongest attack in this edition.
#3 Jaipur Pink Panthers
Raiders: Deepak Hooda, Ajinkya Pawar, Lokesh Kaushik, Sushil Gulia, Deepak Narwal, Nilesh Salunke, Milinda Chaturanga, Guman Singh
All-rounders: Pavan T.R, Sachin Narwal, Kim Dong Kyu.
Since their trophy-winning campaign in the first edition, the Jaipur Pink Panthers have struggled to come close to the trophy. They had a decent season 6 but over-reliance on Deepak Niwas Hooda had them struggling on many occasions. However, in the season seven auctions, the Pink Panthers management made some exciting buys.
While Hooda will yet again lead the raiding unit of this squad, he will be accompanied by Deepak Narwal and Nilesh Salunke for the upcoming season. Deepak Narwal is capable of producing match-winning performances while Nilesh Salunke is a proven performer will be a game changer with his ability to steal bonus points.
In Ajinkya Pawar, the squad has a relatively unknown commodity who could help the team with his unpredictability factor coming to the fore last season. Sachin Narwal is also a part of this squad which has a number of young raiders and overall, the attack wears a top look.
#2 Tamil Thalaivas
Raiders: Ajay Thakur, Rahul Chaudhari, Shabeer Bappu, Anand, Vineet Kumar, V Ajith Kumar, Yashwant Bishnoi.
All-rounders: Manjeet Chillar, Victor Onyango Obiero, Ran Singh.
Tamil Thalaivas have struggled hard to make a statement in the competition but with squad bolstered by the addition of some big names for the upcoming season, the Thalaivas will certainly be banked to go all the way.
Raiding is their strength with arguably two of the best raiders that the country has seen in their squad. While Ajay Thakur has been in the squad since the franchise' inception, PKL's 'poster boy' Rahul Chaudhari is the latest addition to the team.
Thalaivas have banked on experience to deliver the goods for them and going by the squad on paper, they do have a frightening raiding unit.
Shabeer Bapu might have been in dismal form but this classy player just needs a few good raids to get him back to his best. Manjeet Chhillar is India's best all-rounder and although his contribution to the defense is higher, Manjeet can also be more than handy with his raiding skills.
Ran Singh can also be called in difficult situations and with a slew of young raiders in Anand, Ajith, and retained Kenyan raider Victor Obiero, the Thalaivas raiding unit certainly has some strength and variety.
#1 UP Yoddha
Raiders: Azad Singh, Masud Karim, Rishank Devadiga, Monu Goyat, Shrikant Jadhav, Ankush, Gulveer Singh, Surender Singh.
All-rounders: Arkam Shaikh, Mohsen Maghsoudlou, Narender, Gurdeep.
UP Yoddha have managed to set up a strong raiding unit for the upcoming season which could help them go far in the competition. This is one team that could prove a challenge to the strongest of defensive units in the tournament.
The Yoddha will be banking on experienced raider Rishank Devadiga to deliver the goods for the squad in the upcoming season. The veteran possesses great knowledge of the game and can maneuver his skills based on the match situation.
To partner him, UP Yoddha have signed Monu Goyat. Goyat is capable of single-handedly dismantling opposition defense units and he will be the go-to man for his captain on the mat.
Apart from these two, the UP squad also house a talented raider in Shrikant Jadhav who can himself be the lead raider in any other team in the competition. His skill on the mat is certain to bring about some quick points.
In addition, a number of other young talented raiders are also present in the squad who can step up in case of an injury. Not to forget, UP Yoddha's overseas signing Mohsen Maghsoudlou is also a proven performer and has the abilities to carry his team towards victory on his day.
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