PKL 8: How Patna Pirates topped the table without 'big' players

The team showed a lot of potential and capability to win matches even without established players.

Before the start of the eighth season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), no one would have believed if someone had said that Patna Pirates would reach the final. Pardeep Narwal withdrew from the tournament at a vital stage, leaving all the fans shocked. The team though, kept its cool and didn’t let it affect their campaign. They not only reached the final but also topped the points table.

Patna Pirates played 22 matches in the league stage, winning 16 and losing only five. Had there not been any confusion about the substitute players in the final match then perhaps Patna's team would have won the PKL title for the record fourth time. However, despite this, the former champions showed that success can be achieved on the basis of a consolidated effort that doesn’t only rely on a single player.

‘Team game’ made things work

There were not many big stars in the team of Patna Pirates. However, players like Sachin Tanwar, Prashant Kumar Rai, Guman Singh, Mohammadreza Chiyaneh, Neeraj Kumar, Sajin C performed unitedly and this was the reason that the team continued to win matches. In the final match too, the team had to face defeat by a difference of just one point. In this also, the fault of the coaching staff can be called not of the players. If the players had been properly substituted, then the result could have been different.

Defence dominated entire season

The three-time champions were the best in defence. Patna made a total of 272 successful tackles, which was the highest in the tournament. Apart from this, the team averaged 11.33 tackles per match. This shows how sharp the team's defence was. They also had the highest tackle percentage (46.1). At the same time, the team also scored the highest 289 tackle points this season.

All-rounder Mohammadreza Chiyaneh, who came from Iran, amazed everyone with his skills. He made the most of 86 successful tackles this season and garnered 89 tackle points overall. In the case of high-fives too, Mohammadreza was on top and notched 10 of them. At the same time, another defender Neeraj Kumar also supported him well and got 52 points in 23 matches. While Sunil also got 48 tackle points in 22 matches. This shows how much the defence of the Patna Pirates dominated.

Sachin stood out for raiding unit

The Patna Pirates were reliant on Pardeep Narwal for most of the time. He used to be the biggest star of the team. However, this season, Narwal was not a part of the team. In such a situation, there was a big responsibility in front of Sachin to fulfill his deficiency. Replacing a player like Pardeep Narwal was not an easy task. But, Sachin did not let the team miss him.

Sachin Tanwar from Gujarat Giants displayed fine examples of his running hand touch, toe touch and bonus skills. He continued to bring points in raids. He scored 181 points in 23 matches. Apart from this, players like Guman Singh, Captain Prashant Kumar Rai and Monu Goyat also made their contribution. Overall, 3-4 players together took the responsibility of the team in raiding.

Monu Goyat had a poor display

In the absence of Pardeep Narwal, the Patna Pirates had high hopes from Monu Goyat. He had played for the team even before this. However, he disappointed with his performances. Goyat scored just 93 points in 14 matches. At the same time, he was not fielded in the final match. Guman Singh was given a chance in his place. This shows how bad his form was.

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