Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: 5 Panthers from Jaipur everyone will have their eyes on

Jaipur Pink Panthers might have looked forward to the auctions even after a stupendous show last season where their campaign met the buccaneering Patna Pirates in the final to finish runners up.

The final revealed the gulf that had developed between the Jaipur Pink Panthers and other younger and fitter sides in the tournament, the best of which were playing them in the final that day.

Despite Pardeep Narwal being the centre of all discussions and research by the support staff before the final, the team had no answers to his raw power and speed on the mat.

Narwal played just like he had played in almost every match of the season and helped his team dominate from the first whistle and the Panthers could do little to turn the tide from there.

The finals left the team management with a lesson - experience has its place in the game but the ferocity of attacks by young legs can only be countered by youth. The auctions made it clear that the team was looking to see beyond the names that had orchestrated their triumph in the first season but whose powers had considerably waned since then.

The cast that they have managed to assemble before the fifth season boasts of some of the most experienced names with a hefty number of younger players whose potential will need to be translated into performances by the help of senior pros in the team.

Here are five players from the Jaipur side who can make all the difference this season.

---

#1 Jasvir Singh

Even after four seasons, Jasvir Singh remains the key man for the Panthers

Jasvir Singh, by the virtue of being retained by the Panthers, is only one of the four players who have played for the team throughout the five editions. That solitary fact speaks volumes about the man's abilities on the mat and the trust he enjoys from the team owners and management.

He may have lost the captaincy armband to the vastly experienced but new to the team Manjeet Chillar but that doesn't cast an iota of doubt on his raiding skills. With 277 raid points accrued over the four seasons, he clearly is one of the best bets and had the Panthers even decided to release him, he would have had many vying for his services.

With the team management showing faith in him again, it's clear that they'll have higher expectations from Jasvir whose only major weakness is to blow hot and cold without the slightest of indications of it. The onus is on Jasvir to repay that faith with more consistency from his side. At his best, Jasvir can be the most destructive raider on show.

#2 Manjeet Chillar

Chillar's vast experience will do a world of good to the youngsters in the team

One might find it slightly baffling that a captain who took his team to the finals last season loses out in the captaincy race to a man whose team fared just average in the same season. But that's Manjeet Chillar for you. Arguably, one of the better all rounders the competition has seen, Chillar is a like for like replacement of Rajesh Narwal who will no longer turn up in the pink jersey of the Panthers this season.

The fact that Jasvir spent a lot of time off the mat after unsuccessful raid attempts must have compelled the management to go in favour of an all rounder as a captain. Besides, even an ebullient Chillar is calmer on the mat than Jasvir Singh at his calmest and that's why he looks to be a good pick as a captain. It remains to be seen how does he fill the big boots of Rajesh Narwal though.

#3 Tushar Patil

Patil can prove to be the X factor in the Jaipur setup

Tushar Patil is one of those young finds of the league whose career graph has seen a fall from its initial high. Scouted out by Puneri Paltan, the Pune unit reaped the benefits of that investment as Patil from time to time gave bright glimpses of what he was capable of. The move to Jaipur Pink Panthers though didn’t go as well as the youngster would have liked it to.

Despite a lacklustre last season, Patil would be itching to get back to the mat and prove his detractors wrong. The fact that he has still a Pro Kabaddi contract shows that the stage still hasn’t lost faith in him. The time is perfect for Patil to rise up to the occasion and deliver the goods for the Panthers whenever he is called on to.

#4 Selvamani K.

Selvamani was often the lone bright spot in an abysmal Delhi unit

The gangly raider has been around for some time but anyone who has seen his game would concur that he hasn't got the number of games he deserves. At the same time, those following the league closely would know that he has a big heart as a raider and never shies away from taking the do or die raids or raids in the dying moments of the match.

The lack of a long consistent run can impact the confidence of the best and Selvamani too have been a victim of that at times and that's one of the reasons that his stats are a little underwhelming.

However, the misleading nature of statistics in sports is well known and every time this 22-year-old has taken the mat, he has proved he is more than his stats. If the Panthers can give him a consistent run in the playing seven, it's difficult to see them not benefitting from it.

#5 Pawan Kumar

Pawan Kumar has quietly gone about his job and has done decently in the Pro Kabaddi League

Like Selvamani, Pawan Kumar too has been part of the supporting cast for much of his Pro Kabaddi career and every time you see him on the mat, he seems a misfit in the supporting cast. He had a fruitful run with the U Mumba side but the productivity declined once he started turning in the Bengaluru jersey.

The youngster will be looking forward to the management for more opportunities to prove his mettle and a longer season might necessitate reshuffling, which could result in greater number of minutes for Kumar on the mat in the fifth season.