Pawan Sehrawat ruled out of Pro Kabaddi League Season 9

'Hi flyer' suffered a knee injury in the first game of the season.

In a massive blow for the Tamil Thalaivas, Pawan Sehrawat will miss the remainder of the ongoing Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 9, the team confirmed. Pawan also put out an Instagram post, mentioning that he had undergone a successful surgery. The Thalaivas captain now faces a spell of rehab and hopes to recover for the Asian Games.

Pawan suffered a knee injury in the Tamil Thalaivas’ season opener against Gujarat Giants. He had put in just 2 raids when his leg folded in an angle while attempting a tackle. Pawan gripped his feet in pain and was stretchered off.

Tamil Thalaivas paid INR 2.26 Crore for Pawan in the auctions, winning a bidding war with U Mumba. This made Pawan the most expensive Pro Kabaddi League player. The team will now bank on Sagar Rathee to lead the side. The right corner has seen his form dip off late but the transition to captain and playing under a new coach Ashan Kumar will take some time.

The Thalaivas sit in 11th place with 3 wins, 4 losses, and 2 ties. They are unbeaten under Ashan Kumar’s reign, posting massive wins against Jaipur Pink Panthers and Dabang Delhi and then holding Bengal Warriors to a tie.

Tamil brought Pawan in the record amount in the auction

In Pawan’s absence, 22-year-old Narender Kandola has excelled as the lead raider with 99 raid points from 9 matches, with an outstanding average of 11. He sits third in the raid points table. Himanshu has shown flashes of brilliance, while Ajinkya Pawar is transforming into a capable all-rounder.

While the playoffs are still within reach for the Thalaivas, they will see the upside of playing without Pawan Sehrawat. This will no doubt improve their reserves and bench strength. Fresh from the K7 Kabaddi Tournament without much experience of playing in the league or in the Nationals, Narender has taken to the PKL like a duck to water. The defensive unit has clicked for the Thalaivas too, who will look like a much stronger unit with Pawan back into the fold next season.

Pro Kabaddi League released statement on the same "Tamil Thalaivas can confirm that Pawan Sehrawat will miss the remainder of the vivo Pro Kabaddi season 9. The star raider suffered a knee injury during the team's first match of the season against Gujarat Giants and has since undergone successful surgery. Pawan is currently recovering well and will continue his rehabilitation with the club. The league would like to wish Pawan a speedy recovery and we hope to see him back in action soon."