PKL 11 team profile: Puneri Paltan strengths & weaknesses

The defending champions have retained their core team.

The defending champions Puneri Paltan, will be raring to start their title defense having retained their winning core and have made some wonderful buys in the auction for season 11 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL 11). The men in orange had a great last season as they dominated every opponent on their way to lifting their maiden PKL title.

To describe it in numbers, the Puneri Paltan lost two of the 24 games they played in season 10. The Puneri were one of the few teams that didn’t require a new auction as they had retained most of their key players who contributed to title triumph earlier this year. But the auction saw them add more reinforcements which makes them one of their favorites again.

Let’s take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Puneri Paltan in the upcoming season.

Strengths:

After finishing last in the first two seasons, Puneri Paltan decided to invest in stars like Ajay Thakur and Manjeet Chillar. While they qualified for the playoffs, the title appeared to be elusive for a team based out of Maharashtra, one of the traditional heartlands of Indian Kabaddi. They went to the drawing board and instead of buying established stars to make the team win they built a team to win which gave stars to the world of Kabaddi.

They started the Yuva Paltan program, an academy to unearth talents and train them to build a title-winning team. The likes of Aslam Inamdar and Mohit Goyat are fruits ripened from the academy which led them to title earlier this year. Having groomed them from a young age, the Paltans are fully aware of the strengths of the player. When you know the whole nine yards of the squad, then you can easily dictate the terms. The defending champions did that last season and would look to repeat it.

Weaknesses:

They say that too much of anything is good for nothing, as Puneri Paltan faced extraordinary success last season as they dominated the league with just two losses in the 24 games they played. They brought their A-game to the mat every time they stepped on it last season. As a result, none including the Paltans themselves could execute Plan B.

It will be a test of character for their players on how they pick themselves when they have an off day. While they have a strong bench strength it is yet to be tested in pressure situations. Also, it will be interesting to see how they cope with the absence of an Iranian left corner. The last two seasons saw the places being filled with the towering presence of Fazel Atrachali and Shadloui. While they have roped in Mohit Khaler, the defending champions would be wary to fill this gap very early in the season.

Opportunities:

India the Kabaddi powerhouse of the world has seen a massive growth of support thanks to PKL with many Raiders and Defenders coming from all corners of the nation. But the last few years have seen a dearth of all-rounders, with the likes of Deepak Hooda and Sandeep Narwal failing to sustain their success for a long time. One man who seems to have the game to crack the jinx is Aslam Inamdar.

The 24-year-old has taken his game a notch higher every season. The first two years saw him attack a lot as a raider but the role of captaincy in season 10 saw him focusing on staying on the mat a lot and controlling the game by dictating the raid cycle among the three raiders. As a defender, the Maharashtra man picked up his first High-5, impressing with a couple of super tackles. With a strong squad, the season presents an opportunity for Inamdar to become India’s premier all-rounder.

Threats:

The problem of plenty is a good headache to have but in a league like PKL where there are back-to-back matches, it is imperative to get the combination right in the initial games. Having retained the core, Pune does have their starting seven in place. The Auction saw them end with some quality signings, with V. Ajith Kumar being the top pick.

The youngster from Tamil Nadu had two terrific seasons with Jaipur Pink Panthers paving the way for their success including a title in season nine. They also roped in Aman from Bengaluru Bulls who is capable of taking the left corner position straight away. It will be interesting to see how coach B.C Ramesh handles the new picks with the established ones.

It may not be easy to just stick to the existing team and not play the new ones as it could disturb the harmony in the dressing room. The management should ensure bonding over friction during the season. While they did a lot of team bonding activities last season, the defending champions should continue it to ensure their ride is smooth.

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