Tamil Thalaivas retain Ajinkya Ashok Pawar, Sagar & six others

The team endured a difficult last season.

Even after having a terrible Season 8, Tamil Thalaivas have still shown faith in their players, as they retained eight players ahead of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 9 auction. Thalaivas’ retention includes Ajinkya Ashok Pawar from the Elite Player Category, Sagar from Retained Young Player, Sahil Gulia, Aashish, Mohit, and Himanshu from the New Existing Young Player Category; and Himasnhu Singh & M Abishek from the Retained Young Player Category. Let’s have a quick glance at how these players performed in the last edition of the PKL:

Ajinkya Ashok Pawar

Raider Ajinkya Ashok Pawar played 18 matches last season and earned 108 raid points at a strike rate of 51%. He scored five Super 10s and one Super Raid in the previous edition.

He also earned six tackle points in season 8. Pawar’s individual performance was way better than the overall stint of Tamil Thalaivas and this could be the reason for retaining him for this edition.

Sagar Rathee

Top-notch defender Sagar showed why he is one of the best in the business. He earned 82 tackle points in the last edition, including eight High 5s and eight Super Tackles.

His Tackle Success Rate was also more than 50%. So, whenever he is in his prime form, it is impossible for a raider to go back to his zone. Retaining Sagar was an impressive decision made by Tamil Thalaivas.

Sahil Gulia

Retaining Gulia was an unexpected decision by Thalaivas as he had hardly played in the previous edition of PKL. With being a part of just one game, it was expected that he could go into the auction pool, but his retention means he is set to get more chances in the upcoming season. He has been retained by the Thalaivas in the New Existing Young Player Category.

Aashish

The story of Aashish is nearly the same as that of Sahil Gulia. He was just a part of three games last season with hardly any tackle points to his name.

It is also clear that Tamil Thalaivas want to give him more chances in the upcoming edition of the PKL so that he can show his ability as a defender.

Mohit

Mohit played 20 matches in the previous edition and earned 24 tackle points. Though these numbers are not worth retention, there could be something in the minds of the Tamil Thalaivas franchise as to why they have retained him. Mohit was bought for 7.98 lakhs for Season 8 and has now been retained in the New Existing Young Player Category.

Himanshu

Known as the defender, Himanshu showed some skills in raiding as well in the previous edition. In 10 matches he played, he earned 38 Raid Points, including one Super Raid.

He has been retained in the New Existing Young Player Category by Thalaivas and he will look to better his numbers in the upcoming edition.

Himanshu Singh

Himanshu Singh was a part of 6 games in the last edition and earned just seven raid points. His raid strike rate was only 30%, which kept him in the list of below average players from last season. His retention was a surprising decision for Thalaivas. It will be interesting to see how Himanshu performs in PKL 9.

Abishek

Another Thalavian who just played seven matches in the previous edition of PKL, M. Abishek, was short of chances last time. With just 12 points in seven games,

Abishek’s performance was a forgettable affair in Season 8 and now the retained young player has a lot to prove in the upcoming season. Thalaivas showed faith in him, and now it’s his chance to prove them right.

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