PKL 10: Why Pardeep Narwal was benched by UP Yoddhas?

The first match didn’t prove to be good for the ‘Dubki King.’

The start of the 10th season of PKL (PKL 10) did not go well for the UP Yoddhas. They had to face a defeat against U Mumba in a closely contested match. In this match, UP’s captain, Pardeep Narwal, performed poorly and couldn’t succeed in opening his account. Due to this, he was benched in the first half itself. Pardeep scored a total of 6 raid points without earning a single point, and perhaps, that’s why the coach decided to bench him.

Pardeep’s failure to perform in PKL 10 was a significant reason for his team’s loss. Benching a player like Pardeep Narwal was surprising, but perhaps coach Jasveer Gulia didn’t have any other option, as Pardeep was not finding his rhythm at all. There is considerable discussion about Pardeep Narwal’s substitution and why he was benched so quickly. Let’s find out if benching Pardeep Narwal in the first half was the right decision and if UP’s coach made the correct call.

According to Khel Now TV experts, Pardeep Narwal should not have been sent out of the court so quickly because his presence is a challenge for other teams. They believe that Pardeep Narwal, unlike Surender Gill, is a player who can change the course of the match at any moment. The confidence in Pardeep Narwal should be have left on the mat more than Surender Gill. If Pardeep Narwal had been there, the three-point margin of UP’s loss might not have existed. Surender Gill got tackled twice in the end, and if it were Pardeep Narwal, his body language would have been different.

Pardeep wasn’t playing a safe game in this match

Former captain of the Bengaluru Bulls, Rohit Kumar, also had a significant reaction to Pardeep Narwal’s substitution. He questioned UP’s coach’s strategy, stating that it seemed like Pardeep was playing openly. He said, “Pardeep Narwal is not a raider who plays it safe. He usually tries to get points from the first raid itself and he was not playing it very safe today too.”

Pardeep didn’t attempt to score points initially

If we observe, when Pardeep Narwal entered the field to play, he mostly attempted empty raids. He wasn’t even trying to score points. Even the commentators felt that Pardeep Narwal was trying to play it safe. Perhaps, this is the reason why Pardeep Narwal didn’t exhibit the speed and agility for which he is known. Pardeep Narwal was benched, and Anil Kumar was brought in, who delivered an excellent performance by securing 7 points. UP Yoddha lost the match by only three points, raising questions in every fan’s mind about whether Pardeep Narwal, if played the entire match, could have led UP Yoddhas to victory.

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