Review: Tamil Thalaivas continue dismal performance in PKL Season 8

The team played the most number of tied matches last season.

Tamil Thalaivas team did not perform well in the eighth season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL). The team won only five matches out of 22 and lost 11 matches. This was the reason why they finished 11th in the league points table. They were only above the Telugu Titans. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs and their dream of winning the PKL trophy was shattered once again.

There were many reasons behind this poor performance of Tamil Thalaivas. After starting the season well, the team faltered in the later stages. Some players produced terrific performances for the team, but a lack of coordination was on display from others.

Team’s faltering aspects

Tamil Thalaivas did well at the start of the season. However, as the tournament progressed, the team started losing its momentum. The team at one point seemed to make it to the playoffs easily but suffered consecutive defeats in the last five matches. The defeats not only threw them out of the race for the playoffs, they also kept them at a very low position in the points table.

The Thalaivas drew and lost many matches after some bad display in the last minutes, despite being on top at the end of the first halves. Due to the mistakes made in the crucial stages, the team was not able to win many matches. Led by Surjeet Singh, Tamil Thalaivas played the maximum number of six tie matches in the last season. Had the team won these matches, they would have qualified for the playoffs.

Positive outcomes

Even though Tamil Thalaivas' performance in the eighth season of PKL was quite disappointing, there were many things that remained very positive for the team. Young player Manjeet's performance was a good sign for the team. He scored 159 points in 20 matches and almost single-handedly took charge of raiding. At the same time, Ajinkya Panwar also got 108 points in 18 matches. Both these players can do wonders in the coming season as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6ERcWbrGNQ

Exceptional players

PKL Season 8 was disappointing for Tamil Thalaivas but Sagar left a different mark in the defence. He played a total of 22 matches and got 82 tackle points. Sagar was the defender with the second most tackle points this season. He was followed by Mohammadreza of Patna Pirates who got 89 tackle points in 24 matches.

Not only this, Sagar was also the defender who scored the second most High-Fives in the PKL Season 8. He hit a total of eight High-Fives. On several occasions, he got the team back on the strength of his defense.

Below the level performances

For Tamil Thalaivas, there were many players who could not show the kind of game that was expected from them. Leading raider MS Atul's performance was quite disappointing. He could get only 27 raid points in 13 matches. Had Atul been given good support to Manjeet in the raiding unit, the situation could have been different.

At the same time, the performance of the team’s captain and veteran defender Surjit Singh was also not as good as expected. Surjit scored 53 tackle points in 20 matches and was ranked 10th in terms of most tackles. It is surely expected more from a defender like Surjit Singh that he will definitely make his place in the topfive5. However, he could not give Sagar a better assist in every match.

Possible changes for the next season

PKL season 8 was very disappointing for Tamil Thalaivas. They should now look to focus on the next season with positive intent. The raiding department needs to be well strengthened. Another excellent raider will have to be brought in to assist Manjeet. The team can't depend on just one raider alone. They should pay more attention to the all-rounder players. Apart from this, the team did not get scattered under pressure during the last minutes. The coach has to pay a lot of attention to this issue.

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