Pro Kabaddi Season 5: Patna Pirates confident of making it three titles in a row

The Pro Kabaddi League Season 5 is all set to kick off at the end of July and for the first time, it will feature 12 teams, making the competition the biggest of its kind in the country. Earlier this week, the player auction for the new campaign was held that saw nearly Rs 47 crore spent as the teams looked to build the strongest possible squad for the new season. And while taking a quick look at the squads, it is safe to say that the Patna Pirates have once again built a formidable team that can go the distance.

In the third edition of the PKL, the Pirates overcame U Mumba in a thrilling final after finishing second in the league stage that saw them lose just two out of 14 games. Led by the supreme raiding duo of Pardeep Narwal and Rohit Kumar, along with Sandeep Narwal’s firepower, they lifted the season three title.

Related: Pro Kabaddi 2017 Season 5: Full List of players bought by all the teams

Despite major personnel changes after the auction in season four, the Patna side romped home to another trophy thanks to a rock solid defense featuring veteran Dharamraj Cheralathan and Iranian Fazel Atrachali, coupled with Pardeep's spectacular haul of 131 raid points. After losing the major portion of a title-winning team, the Pirates built another champion squad, something that they feel has to do with the environment at the franchise.

Kartik Sansanwal, the manager of the Patna Pirates, explained, “Our focus has always been on creating an environment that allows the players to play their natural game and express themselves.” He gave examples of players who came to Patna in Season 4 and led the side to the trophy.

“You can see the improvement in Dharamraj and Fazel’s games when they played for Patna. They were able to play to their full potential with us,” he said. He also praised Rajesh Mondal, who was a valuable component in Patna’s run to the trophy with his expertise in do-or-die raids.

Speaking about Patna’s strategy at the auction, Sansanwal told Sportskeeda, “Our focus was on getting the best players in their positions and not going solely for star power. We wanted to avoid splashing out an extraordinary sum on a single player and instead build a solid team with good bench strength.”

He was also confident about the Pirates’ chances in Season 5, saying that they are happy with the team that has been chosen and are looking to bag a hat-trick of Pro Kabaddi titles. “Pardeep is the best raider in the business, so we chose to retain him. And in Monu Goyat, we have another excellent raider to share the duties,” he said.

“In defense, we bought Jaideep for 50 lakh rupees, who we see as a real prospect. We also have Sachin Shingade and Vishal Mane, both excellent defenders who share a good rapport on the mat. So all-in-all, our squad is set and we’re waiting for the season to begin,” concluded Sansanwal.

With four new teams added, the competition will be much more this time around. But the Pirates are confident about their chances and fans are surely looking forward to see them back in action in the coming months. Here’s hoping for a terrific 13 weeks of kabaddi!