Should Patna Pirates retain inexperienced Narender Redhu as coach for PKL 11? Season Review

The three-time champions qualified for the playoffs for the record 7th time.

The Patna Pirates were no rookies to the playoffs and they made history as they advanced to the playoffs for the record seventh time in franchise history, the most by any team in PKL history. Their Raiding unit has been led by Sachin Tanwar, with the ideal backing from individuals like Manjeet, M Sudhakar, and Sandeep Kumar.

Ankit and Krishan Dhull’s defensive tandem is what has made the Pirates an unbeatable club. They took things a step further in their home leg when they included Mayur Kadam, who has been outstanding ever since being included in the starting seven. It was yet another successful season for the most successful PKL franchise.

Let’s look into the positives of why they qualified and dig deep into things that should be addressed ahead of the next season

Top Performers

Krishan Dhull

Krishan Dhull of the Patna Pirates finished with 78 Tackle points, second in the fight for the orange band. This season, the Patna Pirates’ star player has been their right-corner specialist. Krishan has outscored most of the competition this season with 78 points in 24 games. Since he is conscious of the demands he makes of himself, he wants to perform well. The Pirates’ journey this season was centered around him and he relished the challenge of being a big-match performer.

Ankit Jaglan

Ankit Jaglan’s discovery this season is just one example of the Patna Pirates’ unwavering commitment to developing new talent. After spending an incredible 31.5 lakhs in the auction, he was assigned significant defensive responsibilities by the Patna Pirates, who were hoping he would be another rising star. Ankit proved he was up to the challenge by putting up a standout performance, finishing 23 games with 66 tackle points and quieting his critics.

Sachin Tanwar

The Patna Pirates are a club that has won trophies thanks to their superstar Raiders. Even though Sachin Tanwar isn’t as well-known as Pardeep Narwal or Rohit, the 24-year-old has proven to be a formidable opponent on the mat. Sachin Tanwar’s success rate in do-or-die raids is one of his greatest qualities. This Pirate scored points from the most difficult circumstances, with 33 points from do-or-die raids. He was one of the mainstays of Patna’s campaign.

Special Mentions

Sachin commanded Patna’s offensive line-up, but Manjeet and Sudhakar hadn’t cemented their position as a reliable backup raider. This gave Sandeep Kumar an opportunity, and he appeared to seize it with both hands as he scored 14 points against the Bengaluru Bulls and turned out to be a perfect secondary Raider. Since Mayur Kadam came into the line-up, the group has become more relaxed.

The home leg began with two high-fives from the right cover defender against Bengal Warriors and Puneri Paltans, two formidable defensive teams. One talent who thrived under this kind of faith and played a key role in driving the team to the semi-finals was a teenage raider by the name of Sudhakar M. In just 19 games, Sudhakar obtained 103 raid points.

Top Performances

Dabang Delhi KC 35 – 37 Patna Pirates, Eliminator 1

Jaipur Pink Panthers 33 – 36 Patna Pirates, Match 106

Gujarat Giants 30 – 33 Patna Pirates, Match 11

Manager’s Report Card – Narender Redhu

One of the most silent coaches in the Pro Kabaddi League is Narender Redhu. He believed in going about the business during training and at the Auction table rather than shouting at the players during the game. As a strategy, it has worked wonders for the franchise as they initially retained a good core.

They also invested in the likes of Ankit Jaglan by spending a lot in the Auction, which yielded rich dividends. The inclusion of Mayur Kadam during the home leg showed how much the coach knew about his players in the squad. The three-time champions would like to retain him for the next season as well.

Lessons to be Learned

Historically, Patna Pirates is a franchise that has done well in Pro Kabaddi League having qualified for the playoffs for a record seventh time. They also have the record for playing in the most number of PKL finals and winning the most number of PKL titles.

With such a rich history, the formula to succeed was well-known and they did make it to the playoffs with ease. One of the success formulas has been in investing in youngsters and they will continue to do so in seasons to come as well.

Fan’s View

Patna Pirates are like the Chennai Super Kings of the Pro Kabaddi League. They are expected to make the playoffs every season and as a Patna Pirate fan, they were happy to see their team in green make it to the top six yet again. While they have not won a title in a while which shows the level of competition between franchises in PKL. The Pirates would not want to see much changes in the line-up when they step foot on to the mat in season 11 which is due in a few months.

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