Pro Kabaddi League Season 5: 5 Dabangs from Delhi to watch out for
Much before Delhi was made to follow the odd-even rule on the roads by CM Arvind Kejriwal, the Kabaddi team from the city were secretly roped in to be its brand ambassadors. Look at their finishes in the first four seasons and one would understand why.
By finishing 6th, 7th, 8th and 7th in their four shots at the title, the team ahead of the fifth season, is the only one in the league to have never made it to the top four. Some consistency that, albeit not the kind their fans and owners would have enjoyed.
Cut to season five and a young and newly built squad exudes promise. They may still not have got the biggest names in their ranks, yet there is enough firepower in the side to earn them the label of Season 5 underdogs. Unlike the previous seasons, there is no one man whose reputation is so huge that the responsibility of the team inevitably falls on his shoulders.
In short, for the first time, Dabang Delhi will be playing without the star raider of the first four seasons, Kashiling Adake who first lost his form and then lost his captaincy before losing his place in the side in the last edition of PKL.
The decision to retain and make Meraj Sheykh the captain seems to be an inspired one for he was the sole bright spot in the team's dismal campaign last year. One of the best in business, Sheykh can breach the hitherto impenetrable top 4 with a team that has more substance than flair.
Here are the five names that will hold the aces for Dabang Delhi.
#1 Meraj Sheykh
After Kashiling Adake's loss of form last season, the reins of the Dabang team were handed to the Iranian. Although the team's fortunes didn't change there was a certain semblance of sanity in the way the team carried itself.
As captain of Iran, Meraj did better when he had better resources at his disposal as Iran sprinted to the finals of the Kabaddi World Cup last year. Keeping all this in mind, Sheykh has been given the responsibility of leading the Dabang side once again.
As a player, there is little to worry about the Iranian who is a workhorse and performs consistently over long periods punctuated by match-winning performances. Moreover, with prior experience in the leadership department, it is expected that Sheykh's game will not suffer under the burden of it.
Despite being one of the respected names in the league, communication can become a problem for the Iranian when it comes to leading a team in the Pro Kabaddi League.