The three-time Pro Kabaddi League winners Patna Pirates has been the most successful team in the league’s history. While none of the other 11 teams have even won two titles, Patna has already won three and has missed the playoffs only twice in PKL history. The Patna-based franchise made it to the second round of the first five seasons.
However, their performances have dipped in the last two seasons as they failed to seal their playoffs berth by close margins. Pirates finished fourth in Zone B during season six, while in season seven, they attained the eighth position on the standings. Nevertheless, one cannot write off their three consecutive championship wins because of their recent shortcomings.
The picks
Pardeep Narwal is the obvious pick for the lead raider’s role in the all-time seven of Patna Pirates. The captain of the Pirates has scored a whopping 1,151 raid points for the team. Patna choked in the knockout phase of the first and the second season. However, after Pardeep Narwal joined the team, it made it to three finals and won all of them. Narwal is nicknamed as the ‘Record Breaker’ because of his unbelievable achievements in PKL. He has registered 59 Super 10s in Pro Kabaddi, while he has also executed 53 Super Raids.
The prime pick from the defensive unit is the left corner defender Jaideep. Patna has frequently changed its defensive lineup, but Jaideep has been a regular member since season five. His 71 tackle points played a crucial role in the team’s title triumph in the fifth season. Besides, Jaideep has crossed the 50 tackle points landmark in the last two seasons.
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The debate
For the second raider’s role, Monu Goyat is the perfect fit. The current UP Yoddha player featured in only a solitary season for Patna Pirates. However, he managed to significantly impact Patna as his partnership with Pardeep Narwal gave sleepless nights to the opposition defenders. Goyat played 26 matches for Patna in season five, scoring 191 raid points, including nine Super 10s. After being released from Patna, Haryana Steelers signed him for a record sum of 1.51 Crores.
For the final spot up for grabs in the raiding unit, there are three options available. First is the former Patna captain Rakesh Kumar. The seasoned pro featured in 12 matches for the Bihar-based franchise, aggregating 88 raid points at an average of 7.33. Injury problems did not allow him to play much for Patna in season two, and after that season, the team management released him from the squad.
Next, Ravi Dalal is another player who can take this position. Dalal was the leading points-scorer for Patna Pirates in the first Pro Kabaddi League season. The youngster scored 111 raid points for the team in 16 matches. In the second season, he could only score 44 raid points in 11 games. Although he never scored a Super 10 for the team, his contributions helped them in crucial moments.
The third candidate is the current Bengaluru Bulls player Rohit Kumar. The two-time Pro Kabaddi League-winning player had kicked off his journey in the league as a part of Patna Pirates in season 3. He won the Most Valuable Player award in his debut season, with 102 raid points in 12 matches. Although Ravi’s raid points are more than Rohit, the team did not win the title when Dalal played. Kumar also registered five Super 10s in 12 games. Thus, he takes up the third raider’s spot.
Talking about the defenders now, Fazel Atrachali had a commendable job at Patna Pirates’ left corner in season four, but Jaideep has already taken up that position. For the right cover, the veteran player D. Suresh Kumar is the top candidate. Kumar played three seasons for the Pirates, where he amassed 76 tackle points. His tackle strike rate was also more than 50%.
All-rounder Sandeep Narwal will take the right corner position. The current U Mumba defender was the second most successful all-rounder in the inaugural edition of the league. He scored 92 raid points and 27 tackle points for Patna. However, as the years passed, Narwal transformed into a defender who raided on a few occasions. In his next two seasons for Patna, Sandeep added 147 points to his tally.
The final spot left in the team is the left cover defender. All-rounder Kuldeep Singh takes up that position. He was a part of the Patna squad that won the title in season four. The ankle hold specialist returned to the team in season six after a brief stint with U Mumba. The left cover defender scored 44 tackle points, including two High 5s for Patna.
Playing Seven Stats for Patna Pirates
Left Corner - Jaideep
Matches - 70, Tackle Points - 181
Left In - Monu Goyat
Matches - 26, Raid Points - 191
Left Cover - Kuldeep Singh
Matches - 22, Tackle Points - 44
Center - Pardeep Narwal
Matches - 101, Raid Points - 1,151
Right Cover - D Suresh Kumar
Matches - 40, Tackle Points - 76
Right In - Rohit Kumar
Matches - 12, Raid Points - 102
Right Corner - Sandeep Narwal
Matches - 46, Total Points - 266, Tackle Points - 119
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