The Patna Pirates have played 15 games in this Pro Kabaddi League season so far and have won 10 matches out of those, losing four and one ending in a tie. As a result, they are second on the points table with 55 points.
The reason behind their success is the performance of their defence. In earlier seasons, more specifically season 6 and 7, it was their backline that often let them down, despite Pardeep Narwal’s bright displays in the raiding department.
Defenders like Jaideep, Vikas Jaglan and Neeraj used to have a couple of good games, but on most occasions they leaked more points than scoring.
This season though, the Pirates have mostly focused on their defensive department. They brought in Mohammadreza Chiyaneh ahead of the season 8, and the Iranian has done exceedingly well at the left corner for them.
He has scored 52 tackle points till now from 15 encounters, which include 8 tackle points earned in their latest match against the Gujarat Giants. However, Chiyaneh has not been the only shining light for the Pirates in defence.
Neeraj was retained by the Pirates ahead of season 8 as well, and he has reaped the faith shown in him by the Pirates coach Ram Mehar Singh. He has scored 40 tackle points from 15 fixtures so far, and he’s among the top 10 defenders in the league.
Sunil has been in exceptional touch for the Pirates as he, too, has scored 35 tackle points from 14 games. Sunil at the right corner and Chiyaneh at the left corner have been the real stars for the Pirates.
The success of the team can be measured by the fact that when they win their matches, their defence averages close to 15 tackle points per game, while when they lose or tie the game, that average comes down to eight.
Patna lost the Jaipur Pink Panthers two times this season, and in both those games Patna’s defence struggled to get going and result of which was pretty evident by the margin the Pirates lost the games.
The Pirates fans and coach Ram Mehar Singh would hope that the defence continues this good performance in the upcoming matches.
