Patna Pirates release assistant coach Prashanth Rai ahead of PKL 13

Prashanth Rai was with Patna Pirates since Season 10.

The Patna Pirates have been in the news for frequent changes in coaching staff, replacing old staff with new ones. They had already parted ways with their PKL 12 head coach, Anup Kumar and defence coach Randeep Dalal.

Now, they have also released their assistant coach, Prashanth Rai. The Pirates had a disappointing start to the 12th edition, but when the situation demanded a perfect finish, they delivered an incredible turnaround. Patna won five matches in a row to stay alive, followed by three consecutive victories in the knockouts before eventually losing to Telugu Titans in Eliminator 3.

Fans, experts, and even rival teams praised Patna’s remarkable comeback run. Yet, despite such a strong finish, the Pirates surprised everyone by releasing their head coach and defence coach, signalling a major overhaul ahead of the next season.

Prashanth Rai’s stint with Patna Pirates

Prashanth Rai has been a part of Patna’s coaching staff since Season 11, serving as the assistant coach for two seasons under two different head coaches. In Pro Kabaddi League 11, the Pirates had Narender Redhu at the helm, who guided the team all the way to the final, where they narrowly missed out on the title.

In the following season, Anup Kumar was appointed as head coach, but after a series of poor performances, he returned home due to personal reasons, leaving defence coach Randeep Dalal to take charge for the remainder of the campaign.

Under this reshuffled leadership group, the Pirates staged an incredible comeback, qualifying for the playoffs and winning eight consecutive matches before being knocked out.

Prashanth himself is no stranger to leadership within the franchise; he captained Patna Pirates in Season 8, guiding them to the final, where they finished as runners-up against Dabang Delhi.

Despite his long association with the team both as captain and coach, Patna Pirates have now decided to part ways with Prashanth ahead of the next season.

The franchise has already announced Jasveer Singh as their new head coach, signalling yet another major shift in their setup and hinting at further changes as they prepare for the upcoming campaign.

Reason behind this release

The Pirates are now looking to start afresh. Under the leadership of Jasveer Singh, they aim to build a new management group that can take the team forward with a refreshed mindset and a clear long-term vision.

The franchise appears determined to reshape its identity and bring stability after constant changes over the past few seasons. Fans will hope to see positive decisions from the new setup and, above all, the return of the old Patna Pirates glory that once made them the most dominant team in the league.

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