Pro Kabaddi 2024 Auction: 3 players Tamil Thalaivas should target
Tamil Thalaivas have been one of the most inconsistent teams in Pro Kabaddi League. Despite signing some of the biggest names in the kabaddi world, the Thalaivas have never qualified for the PKL final.
Last season, the Chennai-based franchise finished ninth in the points table, having lost 13 out of their 22 league games. The Thalaivas have changed their coaching staff ahead of the new season. Former PKL champion Dharmaraj Cheralathan has joined the team as a strategy coach, while J Udaya Kumar has replaced Ashan Kumar as the team's head coach.
The duo of Cheralathan and Udaya Kumar has made some interesting retentions ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2024 auction. Top performers from Season 10, namely Narender Kandola, Himanshu Yadav, Sagar Rathee, M Abhishek, Mohit Jhakar, and Sahil Gulia have been retained for the 11th edition of the PKL.
Tamil Thalaivas still have a decent sum of ₹2.57 crore remaining in their purse, and here's a list of three players they should target to form a strong squad for the PKL 11 tournament.
#1 Tamil Thalaivas should try to re-sign Ajinkya Pawar
Ajinkya Pawar emerged as a game-changer for the Tamil Thalaivas in Pro Kabaddi Season 10. The raider stepped up and delivered the goods when Narender Kandola was not at his best.
At the end of the tournament, Pawar was 13th on the raiders' leaderboard with 124 raid points from 21 matches. Many fans were surprised to see Pawar's name absent from the list of players retained by the Thalaivas ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2024 auction.
However, the Thalaivas still have the option of buying him back at the auction. It will be surprising if the Chennai-based franchise do not chase him on August 15 and 16.
#2 Sachin Tanwar
Narender Kandola has done a phenomenal job for the Tamil Thalaivas in the last two seasons, but the team needs another strike raider, who can score points consistently. With more than ₹2 crore available to spend, the Chennai-based franchise can go hard for a big name from the raiding department.
Someone like Sachin Tanwar, who has been quite consistent in the Pro Kabaddi League over the last six seasons, can be a fantastic addition to the Thalaivas squad. The duo of Sachin and Narender can wreak havoc on the kabaddi mat in Season 11 of the PKL.
#3 Vijay Malik
With M Abishek, Mohit Jhakar, Sagar Rathee, and Sahil Gulia retained, the Thalaivas have their defense sorted. They may not bid aggressively for a defender at the auction, but they might spend big to get an all-rounder in the team.
Former Pro Kabaddi League winning all-rounder Vijay Malik is available in the B category of Indian players with a base price of ₹20 lakh. He could not impress much during his stint with UP Yoddhas, but he was a game-changer during his time at Dabang Delhi KC.
Perhaps, the Thalaivas should give Malik a chance to prove himself again. He can not be a brilliant support raider but also a reliable option in the defense.