PKL: UP Yoddha use FBM to retain Pardeep Narwal for Rs90 Lakhs

The ace had a difficult season with the Uttar Pradesh outfit last time around.

An intense bidding war between the Telugu Titans and Gujarat Giants saw the Giants nab Pardeep Narwal, but the Yoddha used their first of three FBMs to keep their star.

Pardeep Narwal started off in the PKL in Season 2 with the Bengaluru Bulls, but after moving to the books of Patna Pirates in Season 3 he became the highest point-scorer for the Pirates with 121 points. Pardeep has since earned the moniker ‘Record Breaker.’ In Season 4 and 5, he became the first player in the history of the league to win two back-to-back ‘Most Valuable Player’ awards and posted 500 raid points.

In Season 5 alone, Pardeep amassed 369 raid points and 18 super raids. Few other records the ‘Dubki King’ from Haryana’s Rindhana village include: most points in a single season and the most points in a single raid in PKL. He helped the Pirates to three consecutive titles, often single-handedly turning games on their head with his raiding prowess.

Point-machine Pardeep

The left raider has all the tricks in the book and specializes in the ‘Dubki’, a challenging escape skill for a raider that involves him crouching below a chain of defenders and spring from the mat in a jiffy.

Pardeep Narwal continued his scintillating displays in Season 6, earning 233 raid points in 21 matches. His purple patch stretched through to Season 7 as well, with 317 raid points. In the Season 8 auctions, Pardeep was sold to UP Yoddha for ₹ 1.65 crores, the highest bid for a player ever in the league. Despite a sluggish start, Pardeep posted 188 points but showed some chinks in his armour, which he has worked hard to iron out.

An ankle injury has affected Pardeep’s consistency and had to be utilized in a rotational manner during his first season at UP Yoddha. Now fitter and hungrier, Pardeep will be on the prowl again and will hope to add to his incredible record.

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