PKL 12: What could be Puneri Paltan's auction strategy?

Puneri Paltan finished in the 8th position last season.

Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) season 10 champions Puneri Paltan had an average performance last season. Despite having a decent squad, they struggled to register wins on crucial junctures of PKL 11 and ended in the 8th position with 9 wins, 10 losses, and 3 ties.

Aslam Inamdar‘s injury made a massive impact on their flow, and the absence of his all-round skills left a void that couldn’t be filled throughout the season.

Puneri Paltan‘s raiding department lacked consistency throughout PKL 11. Pankaj Mohite, Mohit Goyat, Akash Shinde, and Aryavardhan Navale played their parts well, but failed to deliver consistently. The Paltan had none of their raiders in the Top 15 of the season, with Pankaj Mohite being their best raider with 110 points, ranked 16th.

On the other hand, their defence was their strength. The duo of Gaurav Khatri and Aman, along with Abinesh Nadarajan and Sanket Sawant, had a pretty good run, which took the team to a decent position in the points table. The franchise retained some of their star players from the previous season but released some of them in the auction pool.

Use FBM cards for Akash Shinde and Aman

Akash Shinde led the team in Aslam Inamdar’s absence last season. Although Shinde didn’t have a great last season, he put in some impressive performances on several occasions.

Other than Shinde, Aman was another star who performed valuably in season 11. Although none of them were retained in the team, we may see them coming back through the FBM card.

Also Read: PKL 12: List of players released, retained by Puneri Paltan ahead of auction

Puneri Paltan’s search for an explosive raider

An explosive raider was an element that was missing in last year’s squad. Going into the auction for PKL 12, Ajay Thakur will be looking to bag an attacking raider. Fortunately, they have a massive pool of options to choose from this time. From experienced raiders like Ashu Malik, Pawan Sehrawat, Arjun Deshwal, etc., to young sensations like Devank Dalal, the Paltan will be eying a raider who can dominate their opponents.

They might go for Mohammadreza Shadloui again

Mohammadreza Shadloui played a massive role for Puneri Paltan in the PKL 10. Despite having a good defensive performance in the previous season, the X-factor of Shadloui was something they missed. Even in their retentions, they haven’t retained any left-corner defender.

Are they eying Shadloui for their left corner again? Well, the answer to this will be found in the auction itself. The Paltan management has done a great job in retaining the key players ahead of the auction. All seven retained players, 3 raiders, 3 defenders, and an all-rounder provide great balance to the team. Other than a front raider, the Paltan will also be looking to bag a defender who can hold their left corner.

Will it be Aman, or will they choose another option? Ajay Thakur and company will look to maintain balance and create solid bench strength for the upcoming season that can help them lift their second PKL title. Who do you think they should pick in the auction?

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