"We have some really good players" - Puneri Paltan's Anup Kumar on how the team has shaped up for PKL 8
Puneri Paltan's head coach Anup Kumar has expressed his satisfaction regarding how the team has been built ahead of the eighth edition of the PKL. He also disclosed why the team signed Rahul Chaudhari and Nitin Tomar at PKL Auction 2021.
Puneri Paltan had a forgetful outing in the seventh season back in 2019 when they finished in 10th position with just seven victories in 22 matches. The team retained the likes of Pankaj Mohite, Sanket Sawant, Balasaheb Shahaji Jadhav, Hadi Tajik and Pawan Kumar Kadian before heading to the PKL Auction 2021.
The team spent a total of ₹4.03 crores and signed 13 players to their squad, the most by any team in this year's PKL Auction.
In an IGTV video posted by Puneri Paltan today, Anup Kumar shared his thoughts regarding how the team has shaped up before the eighth season of PKL.
"I am very happy to build my Paltan as we planned for this season. We have some really good players in the team. I hope to see the team play well this time," said Anup Kumar.
Puneri Paltan has signed a total of nine defenders, six raiders and three all-rounders in their line-up this year. Despite boasting star-studded players like PO Surjeet Singh, Girish Ernak, and Shubham Shinde in the line-up, the lack of coordination as a defensive unit was a major reason behind their unsuccessful campaign in PKL 7.
Coach Anup Kumar feels confident that the team has built a strong defense with a perfect blend of youth and experience for the upcoming season.
"We have a defensive unit. We were aiming to build ahead of the auction. We did miss out on a couple of raiders that were on our radar. However, the offense looks good as well. With a perfect balance of youth and experience in our squad, we look forward to a memorable season ahead," explained Anup Kumar.
Rahul Chaudhari at ₹40 lakhs was a steal for Puneri Paltan: Anup Kumar
'Showman' Rahul Chaudhari was among the top-names heading into PKL Auction 2021 after his former franchise Tamil Thalaivas parted ways with him. Fans were expecting Rahul Chaudhari to earn a reputable sum this time as well.
However, teams didn't show much interest in Rahul Chaudhari as Puneri Paltan raised the paddle to snap him at an amount of just ₹40 lakhs. Chaudhari, a seasoned raider with over 1,000 points in the PKL, was a steal for the Pune-based franchise for PKL 8.
Speaking about the player, Anup Kumar said:
"Rahul Chaudhari is a big name when it comes to the Pro Kabaddi League. Having a star raider like him in the squad at just 40 lakhs was a steal for us. We have sufficient time ahead to work on strategies along with Rahul and improve his performance."
On the third and final day of the auction, Puneri Paltan exercised their Final Bid Match (FBM) card on their star raider Nitin Tomar for yet another season when the team signed him for ₹61 lakhs. Anup Kumar shared his thoughts on retaining Nitin Tomar and said:
"Undoubtedly, Nitin is a good player. However, he has been struggling with injury issues ever since joining Puneri Paltan. I hope he doesn't suffer the same fate in PKL 8. If Nitin stays fit, he will give his best performance for the team next season."
It would be intriguing to see how Anup Kumar guides the revamped Puneri Paltan in the upcoming season of the PKL.