Pro Kabaddi League: Vishal Bhardwaj picks his dream PKL team
Vishal Bhardwaj, the flamboyant left corner defender of the Telugu Titans, revealed his dream team of PKL in his recent appearance in Pro Kabaddi's Instagram series, Beyond The Mat - Season II. He picked an explosive raiding unit and a young brigade of defenders, which included himself, in the line-up as well.
The Himachal Pradesh-born defender has been a rising star in the Indian kabaddi contingent, winning the gold medal in his maiden stint at the 2016 Asian Junior Kabaddi Championship.
He made his debut for the senior team at the 2017 Asian Kabaddi Championship. Bharadwaj went on to become the primary defender for India in their gold-winning run at the 2019 South Asian Games.
The ankle-hold specialist has been a force to reckon for the Telugu Titans in the left corner as the only player in history to score 60 or more tackle points in three straight seasons. He also captained the side in the sixth edition of PKL and has 199 tackle points to his name.
Vishal Bhardwaj picks a well-balanced dream PKL team
When quizzed about his dream PKL team in the Rapid Fire segment of the show, Vishal Bhardwaj named himself as the left corner defender for the side. On the other side, Bhardwaj picked the talismanic Nitesh Kumar as the right corner specialist.
This corner partnership worked for India at last year's South Asian Games as well when they took on Sri Lanka in the final match and won the gold.
In the covers' department, Vishal picked Sunil Kumar as the right cover and Mahender Singh as the left cover defender. While Sunil Kumar is brilliant with his assists to the corners, emerging talent Mahender Singh has showcased his breath-taking dashes for Bengaluru Bulls in his position.
Ajay Thakur, who also hails from Bhardwaj's birth state of Himachal Pradesh, is the captain of the side in the center. A leader of his caliber is a perfect fit for any side to display dominant performances on the mat.
Along with him, the raiding charge for Vishal Bhardwaj's dream team would be Patna Pirates' star raider Pardeep Narwal and the MVP of Season 7, Naveen Kumar.
A perfect balance of youth and experience in both offense and defense, Vishal Bhardwaj's dream team can take on any heavyweights in the game.
Vishal Bhardwaj's all-time dream PKL seven: Ajay Thakur (C), Naveen Kumar, Pardeep Narwal, Nitesh Kumar, Vishal Bhardwaj, Sunil Kumar, and Mahender Singh.