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UP Yoddha are one of the most consistent sides of the Pro Kabaddi League having qualified for the playoffs in each of the seasons they have appeared in. This season they have acquired the services of the league’s most expensive player, Pardeep Narwal and all eyes will be on the franchise.
Nitesh Kumar has been a vital cog in the franchise’s performances in the past three seasons and he will form a duo with Sumit Sangwan. Sangwan was one of the best performing left corners with 77 points. Nitesh has got a total of 175 points in the last two PKL seasons.
Unsurprisingly, Pardeep Narwal will lead the offensive unit and will be aided by Shrikant Jadhav. Narwal led Pirates to a hattrick of titles and the skilful raider has to live up to the expectation if the Yoddhas have to be in the reckoning for top 6 finish.
Squad: Nitesh Kumar, Sumit Sangwan, Surender Gill, Ashu Singh, Nitin Panwar, Mohammad Taghi Paein Mahali, Mohammad Masud Karim, Pardeep Narwal, Shrikant Jadhav, Gurdeep, Gaurav Kumar Sahil, Gulveer Singh, Ankit
UP Yoddhas will bank on Pardeep Narwal and other experienced players. They have opted to bet on experienced players and they will certainly finish in the playoffs in the upcoming season.
Dabang Delhi
DD topped the league standings in the previous season, but they fell short against champions Bengal Warriors in the final of PKL 7. This season with the right mix of youth and experience in the squad, they will be one of the teams to watch out for.
The franchise has roped in the services of experienced stars like Manjeet Chillar, Ajay Thakur, Sandeep Narwal and Jeeva Kumar ahead of PKL 8. Naveen Kumar and Sushant Sail will be the key raiders for the team. Manjeet Chillar and Jeeva Kumar will bolster the team’s defensive unit and their experience will be the biggest strength of the team.
Squad: Vijay Kumar, Balram, Sandeep Narwal, Manjeet Chhillar, Naveen Kumar, Neeraj Narwal, Emad Sedaghat Nia, Ajay Thakur, Sushant Sail, Sumit, Mohit, Mohammad Malak, Jeeva Kumar, Vikas, Ravinder Pahal
Dabang Delhi have a formidable core of experienced players in their ranks and the young talent will also aid them. It will be a surprise if Delhi fails to finish within the playoff spots in the upcoming season.
Puneri Paltan
The Pune-based franchise will be coached by Anup Kumar, who is one of the greatest tacticians the sport has ever seen. The team has failed to reach the final of the tournament in their history and they will hope to start afresh in this season.
Home players Balasaheb Shahaji Jadhav and Sanket Savant will lead the franchise’s defensive unit. Corners Vishal Bhardwaj and Baldev Singh will also be in the leadership group of the team. Hadi Tajik is another big name as the defence is one of the strongest in the league.
Nitin Tomar and Rahul Chaudhari will be the prime raiders of the franchise. Tomar was bought back by the franchise for INR 61 lakhs in the auction.
Squad: Balasaheb Shahaji Jadhav, Hadi Tajik, Sanket Sawant, Vishal Bhardwaj, Baldev Singh, Sombir, Karamvir, Abinesh Nadarajan, Sourav Kumar, Pawan Kumar Kadian, Pankaj Mohite, Mohit Goyat, Rahul Chaudhari, Nitin Tomar, Vishwas, Govind Gurjar, Victor Onyango Obiero, E Subash
Puneri Paltan have taken a punt on young players but given that their campaign might depend on the performance of a few big names, the Paltan side is unlikely to go through to the playoffs.
