Pro Kabaddi 2023: 3 Players Patna Pirates might retain ahead of PKL 10
The three-time champion Patna Pirates will never forget the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 2022. The team's performance was a far cry from their prior triumphs, finishing in 10th place overall with just 54 points from 22 games.
The Patna-based team made some significant adjustments ahead of the upcoming ninth season, firing Ram Mehar Singh as head coach and replacing him with Ravi Shetty. Despite having confidence in the players who got them to the PKL 8 final, the team had trouble repeating that success the following year.
Fans were particularly disappointed by the performance of the new captain Neeraj Kumar, who assumed the role of the right cover defender. He fell short of expectations, earning just 29 tackle points in 21 games with a 30% tackle success rate, and his High 5 total remained at just one.
Despite the disappointment, a few Patna Pirates players in the PKL 2022 stood out and made an impression. Based on their outstanding performances, we will highlight the three players that the Patna Pirates should keep for the PKL season 10.
#3 Rohit Gulia (Category A)
Rohit Gulia had a forgettable season in PKL 8 with the Haryana Steelers, but he made a dramatic turnaround in PKL 2022 after switching to the Patna Pirates. Gulia achieved a remarkable 148 raid points while playing as a raider in just 19 games. In the raiding unit, his flawless chemistry with Sachin Tanwar was crucial to Patna's offensive prowess.
Gulia demonstrated his ability to single-handedly change the course of a match with his seven Super 10s and four super raids. Retaining Rohit Gulia is essential for the Pirates to develop a potent raiding squad for the upcoming season because of his average of 7.79 raid points per game.
#2 Mohammadreza Chiyaneh (Category A)
The Iranian defender Mohammadreza Chiyaneh has been a match-winner for the Patna Pirates the last two seasons. Chiyaneh, who played the left corner, consistently scored tackle points for the team. Despite missing the first two matches of the PKL 2022 due to visa issues, Chiyaneh finished the league stage as the top defender with 84 tackle points.
His outstanding performance against defending champions Dabang Delhi KC, in which he scored a record 16 tackle points in a single match, will live long in the memory of fans. With his defensive prowess and match-winning abilities, the Patna Pirates should retain Mohammadreza Chiyaneh.
#1 Sachin Tanwar (Category A)
The best raider for the Patna Pirates in the last two PKL seasons has been Sachin Tanwar, a former star for the Gujarat Giants. In the PKL 2022, he maintained his stellar play, scoring an astounding 179 points in 20 games, 176 of which came from raiding. Tanwar's consistency during the season was demonstrated by his eight Super 10s and four super raids.
He carried the Pirates' raiding unit on his shoulders and was unquestionably its centre. Sachin Tanwar's outstanding performance in the last two PKL seasons makes it clear that the Pirates would be seriously mistaken to release him.
The Pirates' Pro Kabaddi League season in 2022 was a disappointment, but some players shone brightly and impressed the fans with their performances. As the team prepares for PKL season 10, the management should make the wise decision to keep star raiders Sachin Tanwar and Rohit Gulia, who were the driving force of their raiding unit.
Furthermore, Patna Pirates defender Mohammadreza Chiyaneh's exceptional defensive skills make him an invaluable asset and match-winner. The Patna Pirates can hope for a successful and competitive PKL season 10 by retaining these three players.