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The 66th Senior National Kabaddi Championship is about to get underway as it will start from 28th January 2019 and continue till 31st January 2019 in Raigad, Maharashtra. Many stars from the Pro Kabaddi League like Pawan Sehrawat, Pardeep Narwal, Nitesh Kumar will don the jerseys of their respective states/employers.
The 66th Senior National Kabaddi Championship will not be broadcast on the Star Sports Network and Hotstar. However, there is a possibility of having the live stream of matches on YouTube along with the latest results on various platforms.
Many surprise inclusions in the state camps along with the exclusion of star raiders like Ajay Thakur, Rohit Kumar, and Siddharth Desai from the Nationals have led fans to the dilemma regarding the probable winners of the upcoming 66th Senior National tournament. However, there are certain teams that look well-balanced on paper and are the favorites to win the Nationals this year.
Let's take a look at the six probable teams which can win the 66th Senior National Kabaddi Championship:
Also Checkout: 67th Senior National Kabaddi Championship 2020 Schedule
#6 - Uttar Pradesh
The team led by 'Raid Machine' Rahul Chaudhari won the 62nd Senior National Kabaddi Championship back in 2014/15 when they beat Haryana in the final of the tournament. Rahul Chaudhari has led his national team for a few years now as a frontline raider.
Nitin Tomar will be joining his home state after being a part of Services last year alongside Rahul Chaudhari and they make a fearsome raiding duo for any defender on the mat. Raiders like Rohit Baliyan and Abhishek Singh will be assisting them in the raiding department.
Uttar Pradesh will also benefit from the mix of youth and experience in their defense. While Vijay Kumar, Sachin Kumar, and Sandeep have the experience of playing in Pro Kabaddi, many young freshers are ready to show their skills in the tournament which can lead them to gain attraction for the next season of Pro Kabaddi.
With such star power in the raiding and a balanced defense, it is likely that Uttar Pradesh might win the Nationals this year.
Uttar Pradesh team for 66th Senior National Kabaddi Championship:
Rahul Chaudhari (Captain), Nitin Tomar, Rohit Baliyan, Abhishek Singh, Arun Chaudhary, Vijay Kumar, Sachin Kumar, Gulveer, Sachin Kumar, Harendra, Sandeep, Anirudh Pandey
#5 - Haryana
Haryana is known to be the powerhouse of Indian Kabaddi as the state has produced some of the finest champions of Kabaddi today. Anup Kumar, Manjeet Chhillar, Pardeep Narwal, Sandeep Narwal, Surender Nada, and many others have emerged into the limelight from Haryana.
As Anup Kumar announced his retirement from Kabaddi, Surender Nada will be making a comeback to the Kabaddi mat as he suffered from an injury during Pro Kabaddi Season 6. He is set to lead his national side, perhaps carrying a big responsibility upon his shoulders.
The super raider of Pro Kabaddi, Pardeep Narwal will be donning his state jersey which is a big plus point for the team. Joining him will be Rajesh Narwal and Rakesh Narwal who will support Pardeep throughout the matches.
The Haryana team also carries immense experience in their defense backed by Sandeep Narwal, Amit Hooda and Amit Sheoran who will lead the defensive charge. While five new names have got added to the squad, you never know who might step up to the occasion.
Haryana team for 66th Senior National Kabaddi Championship:
Surender Nada (Captain), Pardeep Narwal, Rakesh Narwal, Sandeep Narwal, Rajesh Narwal, Amit Hooda, Amit Sheoran, Kavindar Kumar, Sonu Jaglan, Anuj Kumar, Amit Kumar, Vipul
#4 - Maharashtra
In spite of the exclusion of star debutant Siddharth Desai from the squad, Maharashtra considered having experience in their defense along with youth and agility in their raiding lineup.
While Girish Ernak will lead the team as the captain this year, Vikas Kale, Vishal Mane, and Sachin Shingade have immense experience in the game who know how to build a rock-solid defense.
Rishank Devadiga alongside Nilesh Salunkhe will lead the offensive department where they have a plethora of young fresh raiders namely Abhishek Bhojane, Amir Dhumal and Sunil Dubile who are known for scoring super raids in the local tournaments.
All in all, Maharashtra have adopted a strategy of experience in the defense alongside youth in the offense which has become the strategy of most successful teams of today which can allow them to retain their title this year.
Maharashtra team for 66th Senior National Kabaddi Championship:
Girish Ernak (Captain), Tushar Patil, Vishal Mane, Rishank Devadiga, Vikas Kale, Abhishek Bhojane, Nilesh Salunkhe, Ajinkya Pawar, Amir Dhumal, Sanket Banker, Sunil Dubile, Sachin Shingade
#3 - Karnataka
Team Karnataka is known for the competitiveness and stability in their squad as they've relatively performed better and better with every year. Karnataka's coach, Ramesh BC has been phenomenal as a coach in recent times as he served as the assistant coach for Season 6 champions, Bengaluru Bulls.
Prashanth Kumar Rai, who was the most successful raider for UP Yoddha in PKL 6, will lead the team this time around. His raiding efficiency will be prosperous for the side as he will get joined by K. Prapanjan, Anand V Nair, Sukesh Hegde, Shabeer Bapu in the raiding line-up.
Karnataka's defense is consistent and balanced as Jeeva Kumar, Darshan J., Sachin Vittala and Rajaguru Subramanian will be the defensive arsenal for Karnataka.
All in all, the team looks balanced on paper with every gap filled with experience in the line-up, perhaps making them strong contenders to win the nationals this year.
Karnataka team for 66th Senior National Kabaddi Championship:
Prashanth Kumar Rai (Captain), Jeeva Kumar, Sukesh Hegde, Sachin Vittala, Shabeer Bapu, K. Prapanjan, Darshan J, Anand V Nair, Rajaguru Subramanian, Avinash, Madhu, Rahul Dhoble
#2 - Services
The Services team is known to be the most successful team in Senior Nationals as they are known to produce the best emerging talents in Kabaddi. The players who play under Services focus on improving their offensive and defensive efficiency in the game.
Monu Goyat, who had a memorable outing for the past two years, will be playing the role of a leader for Services team. He will play as the frontline raider supported by emerging talents like Naveen Goyat, Manjeet Dahiya, and GB More who had displayed quick and lethal raiding performances for their respective sides.
Fans will be eager to see the centurion of tackle points in a single season, Nitesh Kumar on the mat. He will be joined by Jaideep in the left corner along with Mahender Singh in the left cover and Manish in the right. It will be a feast to the eyes to witness the cover-corner combination of Mahender and Nitesh in the nationals.
Some of the freshers will be looking to make a huge impact to make a name for themselves and perhaps, fans will be witnessing new debutants for the upcoming Season 7.
Services team for 66th Senior National Kabaddi Championship:
Monu Goyat (Captain), Nitesh Kumar, Naveen Goyat, Mahender Singh, Manjeet Dahiya, Jaideep, GB More, Manish, Sumit Kumar, Neeraj, Anil, Anil Gulia
#1 - Indian Railways
The Indian Railways team for 66th Senior National Kabaddi Championship is non-arguably the best team Railways have ever had in the recent history. Perhaps, this is the most star-studded squad in the Nationals, where all 12 members in the team have played top class Kabaddi lately.
The versatile veteran, Dharmaraj Cheralathan will lead the Railways team for this year's nationals. Ravinder Pahal and Sandeep Dhull, who have played together in the past, will play a crucial role in the corner defense.
The most praised cover defenders, namely Parvesh Bhainswal and Sunil Kumar, will look to continue their momentum from the Pro Kabaddi. Even their backup in Ravi Kumar, alongside all-rounder Rohit Gulia, will also play with maturity, if required.
The raiding line-up of Railways is phenomenal with Pawan Kumar Sehrawat, who made the headlines with his fantastic raiding performances in PKL 6 as the frontline raider. Supporting him will be Vikash Khandola who was the best raider for Haryana Steelers and Shrikant Jadhav who saved UP Yoddha in the most crucial situations.
Backups in the raiding department namely Selvamani K. and Deepak Narwal are known to play with freedom and consistency. On an all-around aspect, perhaps every player in the team is knowledgeable and top class athletes.
It won't be a surprise if Railways conquer the 66th Senior National Kabaddi Championship, and their matches are bound to be exhilarating to watch!
Indian Railways team for 66th Senior National Kabaddi Championship:
Dharmaraj Cherelathan (Captain), Pawan Sehrawat, Shrikant Jadhav, Vikash Khandola, K. Selvamani, Deepak Narwal, Rohit Gulia, Sunil Kumar, Parvesh Bhainswal, Sandeep Dhull, Ravinder Pahal, Ravi Kumar
