Top 5 players that Dabang Delhi K.C can buy in PKL 10 Auction
Dabang Delhi K.C will be looking for redemption when they get back on the mat during Pro Kabaddi League's much awaited 10th edition. Under new some fresh new faces in the Coaching staff, the Capital city outfit is expected to come back with a renewed energy as well.
Last season was the first time that they played as Reigning champions. Following a dream start to their campaign, Dabang Delhi crashed out and suffered a string of more than 5 losses in a row.
It would put them in a very delicate situation with their hopes to reach the knockout phases. Despite all odds, Delhi managed to finish within Top 6, winning their final 5 matches and ended with 63 points.
They were behind by 19 points to table toppers Jaipur Pink Panthers and it describes how far they lagged behind last season. In order to make it better, the One-time champions parted ways with Krishan Kumar Hooda and brought in Rambir Singh Khokhar with PKL legend Ajay Thakur as his assistant.
The duo made their intentions very clear when they released most of their players except for Superstar Raider Naveen Kumar, Manjeet Sharma and young defenders Ashish Narwal, Suraj Tomar and Vijay Kumar. By the looks of their current squad, they need a defensive overhaul and a few supporting raiders for Naveen Kumar.
With no elite players in their retention list, Delhi are expected to invest aggressively on the buying of players and here are Top 5 players that Dabang Delhi K.C can go after in PKL 10 Auction with a remaining purse of around INR 3 Crores.
1. Sandeep Narwal: When Dabang Delhi K.C became PKL champions for the first time, Sandeep Narwal was at the heart of their defense. He played a key role alongside Manjeet Chillar, Krishan Dhull and Vijay Malik.
Narwal scored a total of 64 points including 26 raid points and 38 tackle points. He was sold to UP Yoddhas in Season 9 auction but played only 7 matches. He will bring in a lot of experience and is capable of leading the defense line.
2. Girish Maruti Ernaik: Kalyan, Maharashtra born defender Girish Maruti Ernaik is another name that could be a part of Dabang Delhi's defensive trade in. He spent last season with the Bengal Warriors and had a decent season despite Bengal's poor outing where they finished 11th.
The left-corner earner 51 tackle points in 18 matches with a Tackle strike rate of 45%. As Delhi are in dire need of good defenders, Girish Maruti Ernaik could be a decisive buy for them.
3. Fazel Atrachali: The Iranian is expected to attract heavy bidding for his signature during Season 10 auctions. He will fulfill a couple of Delhi's needs. Firstly, he is PKL's most successful defender with 400 tackle points, so he will be more than beneficial for Dabang Delhi.
Secondly, Atrachali is a foreign player and Delhi currently do not have any Non-Indian their squad. Thirdly, Rambir Singh Khokhar's preferred style of play involves a strong defensive line as seen during his stints with Haryana Steelers.
4. Deepak Hooda: Moving on from defenders to All-rounders, an experienced names that come across is Deepak Niwas Hooda. The Haryana born player has played the most number of matches - 157 and it goes without saying that he has no shortage of experience.
He has played in every PKL season and has represented 4 different teams with Dabang Delhi K.C possibly becoming his 5th. It should also be noted that Deepak has a very good relationship with Delhi's new assistant coach Ajay Thakur. He can play as a supporting role for Naveen Kumar but the 4th highest scorer in PKL could be back to Bengal if they use their FBM card.
5. Durgesh Kumar: 21-year-old Yuva Kabaddi Series product Durgesh Kumar is a name that not many have heard of but is immensely talented and promising. During the recent edition of YKS Summer edition this June, Durgesh Kumar racked up 274 raid points with a sensational Not-out rate of 85.91% and a raid strike rate of 77.18%.
He could be a good buy even if he is available for slightly more than his base price.
Before concluding, it should also be noted that Dabang Delhi K.C have signed Ashish Malik, Manu Deshwal, Himmat Antil and Yogesh Dahiya as NYP players. Therefore, it will be an interesting auction for Dabang Delhi K.C.
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