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The Pro Kabaddi 2024 season will start in Hyderabad tomorrow evening (October 18). Twelve teams, namely Puneri Paltan, U Mumba, Bengal Warriorz, Bengaluru Bulls, Dabang Delhi KC, Patna Pirates, Jaipur Pink Panthers, Telugu Titans, Tamil Thalaivas, Gujarat Giants, UP Yoddhas and Haryana Steelers, will battle for the coveted trophy.
The defense plays a major role in any team's success in the Pro Kabaddi League. Over the years, teams with a rock-solid defense have achieved enormous success in the competition, and the same trend should continue in PKL 11 as well.
Team owners have assembled some stellar defenses for the upcoming Pro Kabaddi tournament. Before the new season begins, here's a look at the top five defensive combinations to watch out for.
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#1 Dabang Delhi KC
Former champions Dabang Delhi KC let go of their seasoned campaigner Vishal Bhardwaj ahead of the new season. The Delhi-based franchise retained the young duo of Himmat Antil and Yogesh Dahiya as their two corner defenders.
Apart from that, the Dabangs also have Ashish Malik and Gaurav Malik in the squad for the cover positions. The combination of Himmat and Yogesh will be the key to Delhi's success.
While Yogesh had a breakout season in PKL 10, Himmat is yet to announce his arrival at the grand stage of PKL.
#2 Haryana Steelers
The Manpreet Singh-coached Haryana Steelers made it to their first PKL final last season. The team's solid defense, featuring Mohit Nandal, Mohit Kaler, Jaideep Dahiya and Rahul Sethpal, played an integral role in Haryana's success.
Jaideep and Rahul remain with the Steelers even in PKL 11 but Nandal and Kaler are not a part of the squad. Haryana roped in a brilliant replacement for Kaler as they splurged over ₹2 crore and signed Mohammadreza Shadloui at the PKL 2024 auction.
In Nandal's absence, Haryana will have to rely on Manikandan for the cover position.
#3 Gujarat Giants
Two-time finalists Gujarat Giants re-signed their star Iranian all-rounder Mohammad Nabibakhsh at the auction. He will likely continue to play as a defense specialist all-rounder for the team.
Joining Nabibakhsh in the defense will be skipper Neeraj Kumar, Sombir and Harsh Lad. Overall, Gujarat have a strong defense on paper. It will be exciting to see how this quartet performs on the mat in Pro Kabaddi 2024.
#4 U Mumba
Season two winners U Mumba have assembled one of the best cover duos in Pro Kabaddi history by signing Parvesh Bhainswal and Sunil Kumar at the auction. Parvesh and Sunil have tormented many raiders in the past and they will aim to do the same in the U Mumba colors this season.
Sombir and Rinku will continue to be the two corner defenders for U Mumba. Both defenders were with the Mumbai-based franchise last season as well and earned 75 points for the team.
#5 Tamil Thalaivas
The tried and tested quartet of Sahil Gulia, Sagar Rathee, Mohit and M. Abishek will continue in defense for the Tamil Thalaivas during season 11. All four defenders have played many matches together.
They have a great understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses. Opposition teams would have worked hard to note their weak points during the off-season. It will be exciting to see how this quartet performs for the Tamil Thalaivas in Pro Kabaddi season 11.
