Pro Kabaddi League Season 9 Team Profile: Puneri Paltan

The franchise has bought star defender Fazal Atrachali in the auction.

With the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) all set to begin on October 7, the teams must have been prepared with their playing seven for the initial games. Earlier, we talked about the Telugu Titans' team profile, where we looked at their strengths, weaknesses, and players to watch out for. Today, we have come up with another strong side, Puneri Paltan.

Puneri Paltan has been one of the strongest teams in the PKL from the beginning, but they haven’t reached the final even once. They made it to the playoffs several times but couldn’t lift the trophy until now. This time, the team’s combination looks great with the inclusion of some big stars. So, let’s take a look at the preview of the side:

Strengths

Inclusion of Fazal Atrachali

One of the best in the business, Fazal Atrachali, has been one of the top defenders of all time. His experience is way more than any other defender. Being an Iranian, Atrachali is quick with his skills and has scored a lot of points against some prominent names in the world of Kabaddi. The legendary player was bought by Puneri Paltan for 1.38 crore, making him the costliest overseas purchase to date. His experience would motivate the other players as well. Apart from Atrachali, the team has Sombir, Sanket Sawant, and Abinesh Nadarajan in the form of defenders.

All-rounder Esmaeil Nabibakhsh will boost the line-up

Another Iranian, Esmaeil Nabibakhsh, is set to play for Puneri Paltan this season. He was bought for 87 lakh in the auction to showcase his best performance in the upcoming season. Nabibakhsh played a crucial role in making the Bengal Warriors victorious in Season 7. He, alongside Attrachali, can be dangerous for any side. Calling Nabibakhsh the best overseas all-rounder in the history of PKL won’t be wrong. His raiding skills are also impressive, as he is known to provide crucial points to the team whenever needed. The Iranian has saved his side a lot of time from being all-out with his Super Tackle.

Weakness

Lack of experience in raiding

Everything is well placed for Puneri Paltan apart from their raiding unit. Although the team has plenty of raiders in the side, but no one is too experienced to handle pressure situations. Players like Mohit Goyat and Pankaj Mohite impressed in the previous season and therefore were retained by the franchise. Aslam Inamdar was also retained by the franchise as he was the top scorer for his side last season. The team can do well in the raiding department with Nabibakhsh in the squad now, but still, the lack of experience in a tournament like PKL can affect their ability to lose out on matches.

Players to watch out for:

Fazal Atrachali would be the main player to watch out for. Aside from him, Kabaddi fans are looking forward to seeing Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh, Aslam Inamdar, Pankaj Mohite, and Mohit Goyat. The team’s combination has improved a lot after the inclusion of Fazal Atrachali and Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh. All in all, the team looks super strong on paper before the start of the upcoming season.