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The Tamil Thalaivas had another season to forget as they finished eleventh in the eighth edition of the Pro Kabaddi League.
While their defense was strengthened by the arrival of PO Surjeet Singh, their raiding department let them down as they finished the season with the lowest raid points among all teams. Their points difference of -42 reflects the margin of defeats they suffered.
In a bid to rebuild, the Thalaivas have retained only one player from the Elite category, raider Ajinkya Pawar. Their find of the season, right corner Sagar is also among those retained in the New Young Players' category.
Some of the notable releases include Surjeet Singh and Manjeet, who was the side's best raider last season. Looking at the side's performance last season, it's the raiding department that needs the most work heading into the auction. A leader in defense would also be necessary for them to succeed.
On that note, let's take a look at three players the Tamil Thalaivas should go for at the auction.
#3 Manjeet
One of the players the Tamil Thalaivas released, Manjeet was the highest point-scorer for them last season. While the lanky raider set them back a hefty ₹ 92 lakhs at the auction, he rewarded the side's faith in him with a 159-point season. However, his and Ajinkya Pawar's efforts weren't enough in the raiding department for the Thalaivas.
Manjeet became a leader in his stint with the side, captaining matches in PO Surjeet Singh's absence. While he didn't contribute much on that front last season, Manjeet's also a handy defender who can take up various positions on the mat. He has kept improving season by season, and we could very well see him peaking to his best in PKL 9.
While the odds of the Thalaivas buying back a star player they knowingly released isn't great, they should consider buying Manjeet back.
#2 Parvesh Bhainswal
Having released Surjeet Singh ahead of the auction, the Thalaivas have a void to fill in their cover combination. While a lot of focus is given to the more point-scoring corner positions in kabaddi, finding quality cover defenders is very hard.
Tackling from the cover positions is tougher than from the corners, and it's very easy to make mistakes and concede cheap points. With the Gujarat Giants releasing star defender Parvesh Bhainswal, the Tamil Thalaivas should seize the opportunity and go all-out to sign him.
While Sagar will no doubt be a crucial defender for them in the right corner, Parvesh's experience and skill at left cover will make the Thalaivas' defense even stronger.
Parvesh is probably the best left cover in the league and comes off a successful National Kabaddi Championship stint with the Railways. He's also a good leader and could be a captaincy contender if signed.
It's rare to have quality defenders released by teams into the auction. While the competition for his signature will be high, the Thalaivas should make Parvesh Bhainswal a priority signing.
#1 Abhishek Singh
One look at their point-scoring charts, and it's clear where the Thalaivas need to improve the most: their raiding department. Having suggested one raiding all-rounder in Manjeet, the top suggestion for the Tamil Thalaivas to target is ex-U Mumba star, Abhishek Singh.
In a surprising move, U Mumba released their star raider despite his successful PKL 2021, in which he scored 177 raid points, finishing as the seventh-highest raid-point-scorer. The 23-year-old formed a decent partnership with V Ajith Kumar, but, similar to the Thalaivas, U Mumba also struggled to score enough raid points, finishing last on the list.
While the bids should fly for Pawan Sehrawat and Pardeep Narwal, Abhishek Singh could go for a fairly lesser price and become a potential bargain for the Thalaivas.
He's a highly consistent raider who could forge an exciting raiding partnership with Ajinkya Pawar. The Thalaivas should add him to their watchlist and go after him at the auction.
