PKL Season 8 winners - Where are they now?
PKL Season 8 was a unique edition of the Pro Kabaddi League. For the first time in the tournament's history, all matches were played behind closed doors. Bengaluru's Sheraton Grand hotel played host to the entire season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Twelve teams, namely U Mumba, UP Yoddhas, Gujarat Giants, Tamil Thalaivas, Jaipur Pink Panthers, Haryana Steelers, Telugu Titans, Bengal Warriors, Bengaluru Bulls, Patna Pirates, Puneri Paltan, and Dabang Delhi KC participated in the competition.
Delhi emerged as the champions in PKL Season 8. They edged three-time champions Patna 37-36 in the summit clash to win their maiden Pro Kabaddi League title.
PKL 2023 will begin soon, and in this listicle, we will look at the players who won PKL Season 8 with Dabang Delhi KC and where they are now.
Raiders - Naveen Kumar, Emad Sedaghat Nia, Sushant Sail, Neeraj Narwal, Ajay Thakur and Ashu Malik
Naveen Kumar was the star performer for Dabang Delhi KC that season. The 'Naveen Express' scored 207 raid points in just 17 matches. He received fine support from Ashu Malik, who earned 51 raid points. Senior raider Ajay Thakur was ruled out midway during the season because of an injury. The other raiders played their roles well.
Kumar and Malik are still members of the Dabang Delhi KC squad. Kumar became the team's captain last season. Thakur has joined Delhi as an assistant coach for Season 10, while he also works as the Deputy Superintendent of Police in Himachal Pradesh.
Iranian raider Emad Sedaghat Nia and Indian raider Sushant Sail disappeared from the league after PKL Season 8. Neeraj Narwal has moved to the Bengaluru Bulls.
Defenders - Krishan Dhull, Jeeva Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Mohammad Malak and Joginder Singh Narwal
Dabang Delhi KC had one of the strongest defensive units in PKL history for the 2021/22 season. The team owners showed their faith in experienced players like Jeeva Kumar and Joginder Singh Narwal. They also signed Joginder's son Vinay Kumar.
Not a single defender of Delhi finished in the top 10 of the leaderboard, but they performed well as a unit and helped their team win the championship.
Joginder and Jeeva have retired from the PKL now. Jeeva has joined U Mumba as their defense coach. Krishan Dhull joined the Patna Pirates this season. Iranian defender Mohammad Malak has not earned a PKL deal after Season 8. Vinay Kumar was with Delhi in Season 9, but did not get any chances to play.
All Rounders - Manjeet Chillar, Vijay Malik, Balram and Sandeep Narwal
Dabang Delhi KC's all-rounders were their biggest strength in PKL Season 8. Manjeet Chillar and Sandeep Narwal were the two highest tackle-point scorers for the franchise. Vijay Malik was the second-highest raid-point scorer for Delhi.
Chillar retired from the PKL after Season 8 and joined the Telugu Titans as an assistant coach for Season 9. Sandeep Narwal remained unsold at this year's PKL Auction. Vijay Malik was one of the most expensive picks for PKL 10. UP Yoddhas splurged ₹85 lakh to acquire his services.
Balram was a lesser-known all-rounder present in Delhi's squad for PKL Season 8. He scored two points in two matches and got released by Delhi.