Spearheaded by Sachin in attack, Patna Pirates aim to reclaim lost PKL glory in Season 10

Three-time Pro Kabaddi champions Patna Pirates will be hoping to reclaim lost glory in the landmark 10th PKL edition after an underwhelming season last time around that saw them finish in 10th position on the standings.

Before the Season 10 Player Auction, Patna Pirates retained seven players in total. Sachin and Neeraj Kumar were retained from the Elite Retained Players (ERP) category while Manish was the only player retained from the Retained Young Players (RYP) category. Thiyagarajan Yuvaraj, Naveen Sharma, Ranjit Naik and Anuj Kumar were retained from the Existing New Young Players Category.

At the Player Auction, they used their Final Bid Match (FBM) card to re-sign all-rounder Sajin Chandrasekar. As a result, the Pirates have managed to build a squad filled with quality players who will be hoping to have a lasting impact in Pro Kabaddi Season 10.

Reliable Raiders in Attack

The duo of Sachin and Manjeet has the experience of playing for four or more seasons in Pro Kabaddi and as a pair, they can be lethal in attack for the Pirates. Sachin scored 176 raid points in Season 9 and was the most effective raider across the league in do-or-die raid situations with 67 points in such circumstances. Meanwhile, Manjeet added 149 raid points in Season 9, including three Super Raids and six Super 10s. A lot of the Pirates' success in attack will depend on how these two go about their business in Season 10.

Rakesh Narwal is another player the Pirates will look to for points in attack. He has scored 186 raid points in his PKL career so far and will be keen to add to that tally in the new campaign. Meanwhile, promising raiders Ranjit Naik and Anuj Kumar - who were retained from the Existing NYP category - will also look to make their mark and contribute to the team through their performances.

Solid Defence Coupled with All-round Talent

On the defensive front, Patna Pirates’ captain Neeraj Kumar is the most experienced player and the right cover has amassed 141 tackle points in 66 matches so far. However, he will need support in defence from players like Krishan, who managed 34 tackle points last year and will be looking to add to his overall tally of 61 tackle points over the course of his PKL career.

Other defenders like Manish, Thiyagarajan Yuvaraj and Naveen Sharma will also need to step up and contribute defensively if the Pirates are to enjoy a solid season. Furthermore, the Pirates’ all-rounder Sajin Chandrasekar, who has scored 45 tackle points in PKL so far, is another player worth keeping an eye on in the upcoming campaign. Add to that, all-rounders like Rohit (34 PKL points) and Daniel Odhiambo (11 PKL points), and it’s safe to assume that the Pirates certainly have plenty of options to pick from in Season 10.

As far as their coaching setup is concerned, Narender Redu and Anil Chaprana will be seen in the role of chief coach and deputy coach respectively. While the three-time PKL winners and most successful team in league history may not boast lots of household names, they certainly possess plenty of potential and talent in all departments of the game, and it will be interesting to see if these individuals can rise to the occasion and set the Pro Kabaddi stage ablaze in Patna Pirates’ quest for a record-extending fourth PKL title.