PKL Season 3 winners - Where are they now?
The third edition of the PKL was one of the first four seasons where only eight teams competed. Patna Pirates dominated right from the start, finishing top of the points table to qualify for the semifinals.
The Pirates beat Puneri Paltan in the last four before toppling defending champions U Mumba 31-28 to win their first PKL title. It was the beginning of their dominance, as they went on to win three consecutive Pro Kabaddi League championships.
Furthermore, they ended the dominance of U Mumba, who reached the final in the first three editons. Pro Kabaddi League Season 3 was also special because it also marked the rise of the Dubki King Pardeep Narwal who has become the most successful player in league history.
On that note, let's have a look at the players who won the PKL 3 with Patna Pirates and where they are now.
Raiders - Pardeep Narwal, Rohit Kumar, Manpreet Singh, Rajesh Mondal, and Deepak Narwal
Pardeep Narwal has established himself as one of the greatest players to feature in the Pro Kabaddi League. The raider has amassed the most raid points in the PKL and is still going strong. He will lead the UP Yoddhas in the tenth edition of the Pro Kabaddi.
Rohit Kumar has failed to stay consistent in the last few seasons. He last appeared in the PKL 9 for Gujarat Giants, where he spent the entire season on the bench. The franchise didn't retain the raider and, surprisingly, he went unsold in the auctions for the tenth edition of the Pro Kabaddi.
Manpreet Singh, meanwhile, has turned to coaching after his stint with Patna Pirates. He coached Gujarat Giants before taking the role of Haryana Steelers ahead of the ninth edition of the PKL. He will coach the Steelers in Season 10 as well.
Deepak Narwal had a decent career in the Pro Kabaddi League, representing several teams after playing for Patna Pirates in the third edition. The raider last played for Bengaluru Bulls in Season 8.
Meanwhile, Rajesh Mondal remained with Patna Pirates for PKL 4 before playing for Puneri Paltan in the next two seasons. The raider is now retired.
Defenders - D Suresh, Sunil Kumar, Vinod Kumar and Sandeep
D Suresh Kumar played for Dabang Delhi and U Mumba in the next two seasons. However, he failed to make it big after disappointing returns. Meanwhile, Sunil Kumar, after contributing two tackle points in the final for Patna Pirates, retired after season 3.
Vinod Kumar missed the next season of the PKL but played for Telugu Titans and Puneri Paltan in season 5 and 6, respectively, before hanging his boots. Meanwhile, Sandeep failed to leave his mark in the league amidst the emergence of new stars.
All-Rounders: Sandeep Narwal, Gurvinder Singh and Tae Deok
Sandeep Narwal established himself as one of the most dominating all-rounders in the PKL.
After his stint with Patna Pirates in Season 3, Sandeep represented various franchises in the league. In Season 9, he played for UP Yoddhas, but the all-rounder went unsold in the auctions for the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10.
Korean all-rounder Tae Deok remained with the Patna Pirates till Season 6 before the franchise released him. He never featured in the league again. Meanwhile, Gurvinder Singh played for three more seasons in the Pro Kabaddi League for as many different franchises.
He last appeared for Gujarat Giants in Season 7 before drifting away from the league.