PKL 11 Season Review: Why did Puneri Paltan fail to defend their title?

Puneri Paltan finished eighth in PKL 11.

Defending champions Puneri Paltan have faced a challenging season in Pro Kabaddi 2024 (PKL11). They finished at the eighth spot in the table with nine wins, three draws and 10 losses in 22 matches. They started the season with great momentum winning five of their first six matches, but with time that faded out and they succumbed to the losing streak.

The absence of skipper Aslam Inamdar has been a significant blow. The 24-year-old, sidelined with a knee injury in the game against Telugu Titans, had been a key figure in their success in PKL. Scoring 38 points in just seven matches with a 90.24% not-out rate, Aslam brought skill and leadership to the mat. Without him, the raiding department has struggled, slipping to 8th place in total raid points with just 923 from 22 games.

Also Read: PKL 11 Season Review: Did overspending on Sachin Tanwar cost Tamil Thalaivas their season?

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Defensive inconsistencies have compounded their troubles. The departure of Mohammadreza Shadloui, a cornerstone of last season’s defence with 99 tackle points, has left a void. While Gaurav Khatri has been a standout performer, others like Vishal and Aman have failed to rise to the occasion despite some moments of individual brilliance.

Opposing raiders have frequently exploited gaps in Puneri’s defence, costing them crucial matches despite solid efforts from their attackers. Let’s have a look at the performers who kept them in the competition.

Top Performers:

Gaurav Khatri

Gaurav Khatri has been a cornerstone of Puneri Paltan’s defence in PKL 11, cementing his place as one of the league’s standout right-corner defenders. In 21 matches, he has amassed 61 tackle points, boasting a strong tackle success rate of 57%. With six High-5s and two Super Tackles, Gaurav has consistently delivered impactful performances, averaging 2.8 successful tackles per match. His rock-solid presence in the backline has been vital to Puneri Paltan’s campaign this season.

Pankaj Mohite

In the absence of Aslam Inamdar, Pankaj Mohite stepped up and delivered consistent performances in PKL 11. The raider played 22 matches, scoring 116 points with an average of 5 raid points per game. With 110 raid points from 263 attempts and a success rate of 41.82%, Pankaj proved to be a reliable attacking option. His five Super Raids and two Super 10s showed his ability to perform in crucial moments.

Aman

Aman, the lone new face in Puneri Paltan’s defence, quickly became an integral part of their lineup, which was instrumental in their title-winning campaign. With 52 tackle points in just 14 matches, he established himself as a dependable presence on the mat.

His absence during a crucial stretch was significant, as replacements like Mohit Khaler and Mohd. Amaan struggled to fill the void. However, Aman made a strong comeback, amassing an impressive 22 tackle points in his last four matches, reaffirming his importance to the team.

Special Mentions

While Puneri Paltan didn’t make huge strides in PKL 11, Aryavardhan Navale showed promise despite his limited appearances. The young raider was impressed with his performances when given the chance.

In just 13 matches, Aryavardhan scored 45 raid points, averaging 3.46 per game with a solid success rate of 66.17%. He also pulled off three Super Raids and one Super 10, demonstrating his ability to step up in key moments. His performances have made fans excited about his future in the league and even earned praise from legendary Ajay Thakur, the assistant coach of Puneri Paltan.

Top Performances:

• Puneri Paltan 56-18 Bengaluru Bulls (Match 110)
• Puneri Paltan 51-34 Bengal Warriorz (Match 73)
• Puneri Paltan 40-25 Patna Pirates (Match 8)

Coach’s Report Card – BC Ramesh

Coming in as the defending champions, BC Ramesh who didn’t have to sweat anything in PKL 10 was left flustered after losing Aslam Inamdar. Following that, he failed to make the right reinforcements to counter the absence of the star allrounder. Despite not getting results he continued with the same lineup and eventually succumbed to a series of losses.

However, close to the end, he stepped away from the position with Ashok Shinde taking over the mantle. However, the addition of legendary Ajay Thakur as the assistant coach upped the performance a bit and looked better ending the season with a win.

Lessons to be learned

The biggest lesson that Puneri Paltan learned was that fate changes with time. The team came into the campaign with no backups to their starting stalwarts and the loss of Aslam Inamdar showed exactly why they needed the same. Secondly, as Ajay Thakur said the team lacked pace and took a lot of time to react as the opponent exploited the nooks and crannies to take away points.

Fans’ View

Paltan came into the campaign as a title contender and fans had high expectations from them. They started the season well with fans’ expectations growing however with time they failed to deliver on the same ending the season at a disappointing eighth position.

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