Pro Kabaddi Season 7: Team Analysis of Patna Pirates

Modified Apr 12, 2019 07:35 IST

Patna Pirates have a fine squad this year

Patna Pirates, who have their name written in the golden history of Pro Kabaddi, are counted as one of the most prominent teams of the league.

The three-time champions have defeated strong teams such as Jaipur Pink Panthers, U Mumba, and Gujarat Fortune Giants to win season 3, 4 and 5 in the past.

Patna ended up on the third spot in the first instalment of the league as they won the "runners up" match against Bengaluru Bulls. The next season saw them drop a place lower after losing the "runners up" match against Telugu Titans.

The squad boasted of Rakesh Kumar, the former captain of the Indian Kabaddi Team, till the second season. However, Rakesh made a shift to U Mumba in the third season of PKL and simultaneously, Manpreet Singh was handed over the responsibility to lead the team.

The Pirates won their first trophy that season after defeating U Mumba. With no intentions to stop there, they ended up winning both seasons 4 and 5. The trustworthy dubki king Pardeep Narwal was a constant in all those seasons.

The sixth edition of Pro Kabaddi was the most disastrous one for them as a shortage of teamwork was noticed. Also, Pardeep Narwal along with a few players tried their best to keep the ship sailing, but without any luck.

How was the season 7 auction for Patna Pirates?

The season 7 auction, which took place on the 8th and 9th of April, went pretty well for the Pirates. The management focused on getting both experienced and young players on the squad.

A few days prior to the auction, they chose to retain the major players Pardeep Narwal, Jawahar Dagar and Vikas Jaglan. The revival of Narwal was undoubtedly a no-brainer!

Buying Jang Kun Lee for just ₹40 lakhs is a win-win for them. Bringing the Irani Mohammad Maghsoudlou on the squad for ₹35 lakhs was also a smart move. Hadi Ostorak was also a great choice, given that he has played for the Pirates in the past.

Surender Nada, one of the finest defenders in the league, can do wonders for the team. The Pirates shelled out ₹77 lakhs for him. Using the Final Bid Match on Jaideep was also a good decision.

What can go wrong for them in the approaching season?

Both Pardeep and Jang Kun Lee are right raiders and other than them, there is almost no experience in the raiding department. Mohammad Maghsoudlou, based on his past performances, can help the team with his raiding skills.

Same problem with the defence as well, both Surender Nada and Jaideep are left corner defenders. Last year, Patna suffered due to the absence of a proper right-corner, not buying an experienced one can harm them, yet again.

However, they should let Hadi guard the right corner since he has never let Pirates down in the past. A wonderful all-rounder that he is, Hadi can change the game completely for the team.