Pro Kabaddi League 2018, Season 6: 5 players who can shine for Dabang Delhi

Dabang Delhi has portrayed itself as one team that lays out a lot of promise but has faltered in all the seasons thus far. With a 6th place finish in the inaugural season its best finish from five seasons, there is much that is left wanting for any Dabang Delhi fan.

Now, with the Pro Kabaddi League 2018 fast approaching, Dabang Delhi will hope to rectify what went wrong from the past seasons and regroup under skipper Meraj Sheykh, who will hope to see a change in fortunes this season.

Opting to shuffle its squad apart from the lone retention of Meraj Sheykh, Delhi did well in the auction to add teeth to the overall balance of the squad. Shabeer Bapu, who has drifted into the players' shadows could be leading the raid department which will also feature the likes of Chandran Ranjith and Pawan Kumar Kadian.

Ravinder Pahal returns to the team he started off with and partnering him in the defensive setup will be Vishal Mane, Satpal, and Viraj Vishnu Landge, who had an excellent outing last season. Left corner defender Joginder Narwal will be manning the left corner while Rajesh Narwal's all-round ability will certainly come to Meraj Sheykh's aid.

Here are five players from this year's squad, who can be expected to give the opposition a run for their money.

#5 Ravinder Pahal

Pahal will be back with Delhi

Fondly referred to as 'The Hawk' for his extreme skill on the right corner position, Ravinder Pahal's return to Dabang Delhi could well fuel his intent to perform well and his alliance with Joginder Narwal on the right corner could be a massive influential factor for Delhi.

Pahal played the first three seasons with Delhi and in the second season, finished as the best defender with 64 points from 14 matches. In the previous season with the Bengaluru Bulls, Pahal picked 54 points from 19 matches, an average outing and he will be waiting to strike when the chance arrives this season.

#4 Shabeer Bapu

Shabeer (C) in action against Jaipur

A talented raider who has played a majority of his career for U Mumba and under the shadows of skipper Anup Kumar, Shabeer's move to Dabang Delhi could give him a new opportunity as he could well settle into the role of the lead raider.

With 200 points from 54 matches, Shabeer's stats do indicate that he can be a devastating raider and along with Pawan Kumar Kadian and Chandran Ranjith, could pose some serious problems for the opposition defense.

In the fifth season with U Mumba, Shabeer did not get too many opportunities and this season, he could be thrust with a lot of the onus on his shoulders.

#3 Vishal Mane

Vishal Mane (R) won the title with Patna last season

Undoubtedly one of the best cover defenders in the country, Vishal Mane's powerful blocks and dashes coupled with his understanding of the game makes him a true asset on the mat. With acres of experience from playing for U Mumba, Bengal Warriors and in the last season, a title win with Patna, Vishal's presence on the mat could be what Dabang Delhi need.

With 132 points from 83 matches in the history of the league, Vishal Mane has been an imperative part of the teams he has represented in the past and with another season approaching, he will look to be at his best.

#2 Pawan Kumar Kadian

Pawan Kumar's acute raiding style can bring him good results

A do-or-die raid specialist who was in great form for the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the last season, 209 points from 55 matches does indicate a great deal of promise from Pawan Kumar, which if he does bring to the mat can do some serious damage on the opposition.

In the previous season, Pawan amassed 122 points from 21 matches and finished as one of the top raiders and under Meraj Sheykh, could be given a host of opportunities to prove his mettle.

Given the fact that he is still young and looking to carve out a career, Pawan Kumar can be expected to put up a good show this season.

#1 Chandran Ranjith

Chandran Ranjith was Delhi's costliest pick from the auction

The fact that Dabang Delhi broke the bank to procure the services of this talented raider for a whopping sum of ₹61.25 lakh rupees speaks volumes about his talent, which was on display in the previous edition of the PKL.

Having warmed the benches for more than a vast majority of the first two seasons with the Telugu Titans, Ranjith featured for the Gujarat Fortune grants in the fifth season and picked 51 points from 11 matches, including an 11-point effort that stamped his class on the league.

With Delhi currently looking to erase the ghosts of its past, Chandran Ranjith could well be the man who could bring in the change.