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'The Beast' Sandeep Narwal is set to go under the hammer at the PKL Auction 2021, as his former team, U Mumba, released their star all-rounder ahead of PKL Season 8. The three-day auction will take place in Mumbai from August 29 to 31.
Sandeep Narwal started his PKL journey with the Patna Pirates as the second-best all-rounder in the inaugural season with 119 total points. The all-rounder was instrumental in both the offensive and defensive departments in the first three seasons of the league.
Narwal tasted his first major accomplishment in PKL 3. He notched up 55 tackle points, which were crucial for the Patna Pirates in their maiden title victory in Season 3. The Haryana-born all-rounder represented the Telugu Titans (PKL 4) and Puneri Paltan (PKL 5 & 6) from there onwards.
The Fazel Atrachali-led U Mumba signed Sandeep Narwal for a whopping amount of ₹89 lakhs in the PKL 7 auction. He formed a deadly corner combination with the Iranian and scored 56 tackle points with five super tackles to his name. In PKL 7, Sandeep became the fourth player in history to cross the 300 tackle-point mark.
An experienced campaigner who has established himself as a pure corner defender lately, Sandeep Narwal is one of three all-rounders with over 500 total points in the PKL. Teams will be looking to sign the 28-year-old in their squad and could splurge a decent amount of money to sign him up.
On that note, let's take a look at the three teams that could sign Sandeep Narwal at the PKL 8 Auction:
#3 Puneri Paltan
Puneri Paltan has never clinched a trophy in seven seasons in the PKL. In the seventh season, the team boasted big names like PO Surjeet Singh and Girish Ernak, but the lack of coordination and an unsettled defense was a notable reason for their forgetful campaign.
They relied upon the Maharashtrian corner duo of Shubham Shinde (right) and Girish Ernak (left). However, both players couldn't perform well as they could only manage 51 tackle points together. Since the Paltans have left their defensive unit out ahead of the PKL Auction 2021, Sandeep Narwal could be a perfect leader for them in defense.
Having played two seasons with Puneri Paltan, Sandeep Narwal scored 93 tackle points in 39 matches at an average of 2.38 for the team. His body blocks and waist holds make him a threat to the opposition. With Anup Kumar essaying the role of the head coach, it means that Sandeep Narwal could once again lead the side as the skipper for PKL 8.
#2 Patna Pirates
Three-time champions Patna Pirates are the most successful side in PKL history. However, the team has not been able to qualify for the playoffs in the past two seasons. It has even compelled the franchise to release their sensational raider Pardeep Narwal ahead of PKL Auction 2021.
With over-dependence on Pardeep Narwal being the main reason for their failure, another glaring issue was the form of their defenders in PKL 7. Nobody stood out in the defense for the Pirates as the team consistently failed to revive Pardeep Narwal in crucial situations.
Sandeep Narwal has been the most successful all-rounder for the Patna Pirates in history, with 266 total points. He started his career with the Pirates in the first three seasons of the competition.
Patna Pirates could target Sandeep Narwal to add balance to their unit as they could snap him up to be the new leader of the franchise in PKL 8. He could lead the defense with his strong holds, which could be favorable for the team in the long run.
#1 Dabang Delhi K.C.
PKL 7's runners-up, Dabang Delhi K.C., had the second-lowest tackle points (222) out of all 12 franchises in the last edition. The team has boasted of names like Ravinder Pahal, Joginder Narwal and Vishal Mane in their defensive units since the sixth season.
Delhi were over-reliant upon their star raider Naveen Kumar last season. However, they were not confident about their defense heading into the PKL 7 final as the team lacked coordination. With that in mind, the team management has let go of the senior players ahead of the PKL Auction 2021.
Dabang Delhi K.C. could spend a decent sum of money on Sandeep Narwal, who can also lead the side upfront as their new captain. With questions surrounding Joginder Narwal's fitness and Ravinder Pahal's inconsistent form last season, Narwal could fit perfectly into the scheme of things. He could also guide youngsters, including Naveen Kumar, in the squad.
