PKL 11: Top five replacements for BC Ramesh at Puneri Paltan

BC Ramesh has taken over as the team advisor of Puneri Paltan in PKL 11.

Head Coach B.C. Ramesh, who led Puneri Paltan to their first-ever title in the previous season, has decided to step down from his position and take over the role of team advisor in Pro Kabaddi 2024 (PKL 11). While the timing is a bit unexpected, the decision isn’t too surprising considering that the team has only won two out of their last nine matches, despite having a star-studded line-up.

The going has been tough for the team, ever since they lost their skipper Aslam Inamdar to injury. Thanks to a great start, they are still in the race for the playoffs, as they are currently placed seventh with 47 points after 16 matches. Overall, they have won seven games and lost six, while three games ended in a tie.

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While the key members of the squad seem to have lost steam after a brilliant start, much of it also has to do with the surprising number of substitutions made by the coach in every match. While youngsters like Dadaso Pujari and Aryavardhan Navale have come from the bench and done a decent job, replacing the likes of Gaurav Khatri and Mohit Goyat, the changes have created a lot of uncertainty and unbalance.

Every Paltan fan will now hope that the new coach will bring the team back to winning ways and help the team reach the playoffs for the second consecutive time. Here are five names who can replace B.C. Ramesh as the Head Coach of Puneri Paltan.

5. Rakesh Kumar

All-rounder Rakesh Kumar, who has played nearly 60 matches in the PKL in three different teams, could be considered for the role. The Arjuna Awardee, who has previously been India’s vice-captain, has been part of two World Cup-winning and three Asian Games gold medal-winning squads. He also captained the Patna Pirates to a third-place finish in the first season of the PKL.

The 41-year-old from Nizampur was the Head Coach of the Haryana Steelers in seasons 7 and 8, leading them to a playoff finish in the former.

4. K Baskaran

K Baskaran is a well-respected name in the Kabaddi circuit and is a good candidate to take over the top role in the Paltan set-up. The former Indian team captain has coached the Malaysian and Thailand national teams and led the Indian team to a bronze medal in the Beach Asian Games 2014.

The 58-year-old from Tamil Nadu was at the helm of affairs at the Jaipur Pink Panthers when they lifted the title in the inaugural edition of the PKL. He also led the Paltan to a third-place finish in PKL. Associated with the Bengal Warriors in the last two seasons, he had to make way after some underwhelming performances.

3. Ashan Kumar

Ashan Kumar has made his legacy in not only improving Kabaddi in India but also making drastic changes in countries like Iran and South Korea. The 63-year-old from Bhiwani took over as the coach and led India to Asian Games glory in 1998. Under him, teams like Iran (2010) and South Korea (2018) clinched silver medals at the Asian Games.

The former Asian Games gold medal-winning skipper famously took over the mantle of head coach of Tamil Thalaivas midway through PKL 9, a season in which they had lost Pawan Sehrawat after the first match due to an injury and had led a young squad to a semifinal finish.

2. Jeeva Kumar

By hierarchy, Jeeva Kumar could take over as the head coach of the Puneri Paltan, as he had served as the assistant under BC Ramesh. The defender played in 140+ matches, in eight seasons of the PKL for four different teams. The 53-year-old from Kanyakumari has been part of three title-winning outfits- U Mumba (Season 2), Bengal Warriors (Season 7) and Dabang Delhi (Season 8).

Last season, he was the defense coach of U Mumba but was released after a disappointing performance by the team. He was then roped into the Paltan set-up.

1. Anup Kumar

‘Captain Cool’ Anup Kumar is one of the most suitable candidates to take up the task. He is arguably the best raider to have ever played the sport. He was the captain of the outfit that lifted the World Cup in 2016 and also led India to two Asian Games gold medals. The Arjuna awardee has played more than 90 matches in the PKL and led U Mumba to the finals in the first three seasons, including a title in the second edition.

Interestingly, the 41-year-old from Gurgaon was the Head Coach of a young Paltan outfit in PKL 8, with the likes of Aslam Inamdar, Mohit Goyat, Akash Shinde and Abhinesh Nadarajan playing their debut seasons. Despite the team overcoming various odds to qualify for the playoffs, B.C. Ramesh replaced him in the next edition. Life could come a full circle if Anup now takes over the mantle from the same coach and finishes off the unfinished business.

(Notable Mention: Former Telugu Titans assistant coach Manjeet Chhillar has played 130+ matches in PKL. He is counted as one of the great players of PKL. While he is in the race, the expiry of his MOM could cause a hindrance.)

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