'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
7. Patna Pirates - 6/10
3-time champions Patna Pirates failed to re-sign Pardeep Narwal at PKL Auction 2021. But Ram Meher Singh and Co. did manage to form a stellar group of raiders with Sachin Tanwar, Monu Goyat, Jang Kun Lee and Prashanth Kumar Rai on board.
Patna's defense looks a little weaker this year. Elite Retained Player Neeraj Kumar will have the onus of scoring tackle points consistently for the team in the upcoming season.
8. Puneri Paltan - 8/10
Puneri Paltan had the best PKL Auction 2021. They managed to sign two fantastic corner defenders in Baldev Singh and Vishal Bhardwaj. The Pune-based franchise then added showman Rahul Chaudhari and seasoned campaigner Nitin Tomar to the squad.
Sombir is another talented defender signed by Pune. If Chaudhari and Tomar can perform the way they had in Season 3, 4 and 5 of the Pro Kabaddi League, Puneri Paltan will be unstoppable.
9. Tamil Thalaivas - 6/10
After releasing their big names ahead of PKL Auction 2021, Tamil Thalaivas decided to invest in rising stars. They spent ₹92 lakh to sign former Puneri Paltan all-rounder Manjeet. Another former Puneri Paltan to join the Thalaivas was PO Surjeet Singh.
Raider K Prapanjan received a contract worth ₹71 lakh from the Chennai-based franchise at PKL Auction 2021. With Sagar B. Krishna, Athul MS, Ajinkya Pawar and Sourabh Patil in the squad, Tamil Thalaivas have formed a unit that can win matches. But it will be interesting to see if they can win the competition.
10. Telugu Titans - 6/10
Like Patna Pirates, Telugu Titans have a raid attack that can destroy any defense in the world. Siddharth Desai and Rohit Kumar are two raiders who can score heaps of raid points, but the team's defense does not look strong on paper.
The Titans could not re-sign Vishal Bhardwaj, but they signed their former defender Sandeep. Much will depend on how the likes of Surender Singh, C. Arun, Adarsh T. and Ruturaj Koravi perform in defense.
11. U Mumba - 5/10 (Highest purse value remaining after PKL Auction 2021)
Former PKL winners U Mumba were the only franchise left with more than ₹60 lakh in their auction purse. Surprisingly, the Mumbai-based franchise decided against signing any player from the 'A' category.
It looks like the duo of Fazel Atrachali and Abhishek Singh will have to score points consistently to ensure U Mumba can reach the playoffs. Among the new signings, Ashish Sangwan and Ajith Kumar are expected to deliver the goods for the team.
12. UP Yoddha - 8/10
UP Yoddha had retained two of the most successful defenders from the previous PKL season, Nitesh Kumar and Sumit, ahead of PKL Auction 2021. They then broke the bank to acquire the services of Pardeep Narwal. Soon after, they added Shrikant Jadhav to the squad.
The Uttar Pradesh-based franchise has four players who can single-handedly change the game. The likes of Ashu Singh, Surender Gill, Nitin Panwar and Mohammad Taghi Paein Mahali can be backed to support the star-studded quartet. It won't be a surprise if UP Yoddha win their first-ever PKL title this year.
