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Tamil Thalaivas, which made their maiden appearance in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) in 2017, have not enjoyed much success in the last few seasons. Since their debut in Season 5, the Thalaivas have always finished in the bottom half of the table.
Intending to redeem themselves, Tamil Thalaivas have gone for a complete overhaul ahead of PKL 8. They have let go of some big names like Ajay Thakur, Manjeet Chhillar and Rahul Chaudhari for a fresh start to their title aspirations.
Tamil Thalaivas start their campaign on the opening day of PKL 8 when they take on the Telugu Titans in a 'Southern Derby'. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire season will be held behind closed doors at the Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel & Convention Center.
Interestingly, Tamil Thalaivas retained no Elite Players ahead of the PKL auctions and have signed some quality players such as Manjeet, K Prapanjan, and Surjeet Singh.
On that note, here are three reasons why the Chennai-based franchise could turn things around in their bid to claim the PKL 8 trophy:
#1 Rock-solid and experienced Surjeet Singh to lead the side
Tamil Thalaivas have invested heavily in cover defender Surjeet Singh. The Thalaivas spent INR 75 lakh to acquire the services of Singh, who is one of the most sought-after players in the defense department.
Surjeet is the most successful specialist cover defender in PKL history. He has scored 278 tackle points and also holds the record for the highest number of High-5s (27) in the tournament.
Surjeet brings immense experience to a new-look Tamil Thalaivas side. He has previously represented successful teams like U Mumba, Bengal Warriors, and Puneri Paltan.
The star defender has been authoritative with his hard-hitting dashes. Surjeet is known to be calm and composed. His ability to score under pressure will surely be a key factor for Tamil Thalaivas.
#2 Manjeet, K Prapanjan among quality raiders
Tamil Thalaivas have built a team of quality raiders. They have acquired a good-looking raiding unit with the likes of Manjeet and K Prapanjan, who have proven their worth in the past season and will lead the raiding department. With some young and upcoming raiders, the Thalaivas seem to have a strong unit revolving around these two.
Manjeet had an outing to remember in Season 7, scoring 123 raid points. Further, he also scored 28 tackle points, thus proving handy in the defense department as well. Manjeet was part of the Services team that finished runners-up in the 68th National Senior Kabaddi Championship.
Alongside Manjeet, there will be a lot of expectations from K Prapanjan, who played a key role for the Bengal Warriors in Season 7 as they went on to win the title. His career-best campaign came in Season 5, where he scored 122 raid points. Being a local lad, Manjeet will look to repeat his performances for the Tamil Thalaivas.
Athul MS, Ajinkya Pawar, Bhavani Rajput, and Sourabh Tanaji Patil are some of the young and exciting raiders on the side. They have showcased their raiding abilities and added depth and variety to the attack.
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#3 Experienced combination of Surjeet and coach Udaya Kumar
Tamil Thalaivas have also signed some formidable defenders. Surjeet Singh may be the only established defender on the side. But the youngsters will have an opportunity to rally the defense around Surjeet.
Himanshu, M Abhishek, Sagar Rathee, and Sagar Krishna are retentions from the existing New Young Players category. They will have a chance to flourish and showcase their skills under Surjeet.
Sagar Rathee and Sagar Krishna could form a potentially strong corner duo with Abhishek as a talented cover defender.
Tamil Thalaivas also have some exciting foreign names in the squad. Sri Lanka’s Anwar Saheed Baba, Bangladesh’s Mohammad Tuhin will look to make an impact.
While some interesting names may not have made a mark for themselves, coach J Udaya Kumar will be a vital string in helping them discover their full potential. Udaya Kumar is one of India’s most successful and well-known coaches. He has led the Indian national team to two World Cups (2004 and 2007) and three Asian Games gold medals (2002, 2006, and 2014).
With himself and Surjeet at the helm, Tamil Thalaivas can certainly have a successful campaign and probably script history by winning the title.
