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The Bengaluru Bulls' decision not to retain Pawan Sehrawat ahead of the 2022 PKL Auction has raised several eyebrows.
Nicknamed the High-Flyer, Sehrawat was the highest points scorer in the last three editions of the Pro Kabaddi League.
He went on to win the sixth edition of the tournament as well.
Sehrawat is expected to be a sought-after player in this year's auction. His performance in Indian Railways' convincing win at the National Kabaddi Championship will only raise his stock further.
Keeping that in mind, let's think of three teams who will look to sign him in the auction.
Honorable Mentions:
Telugu Titans: Despite having enough in the purse to pursue Sehrawat, the Titans would be better off staying away from the bidding war for the player.
Ankit Beniwal and Rajnish are capable raiders. Hence, they are better off investing in other facets. It would serve them much better to strengthen their weak defence.
#3 Patna Pirates
This might appear shocking or even unrealistic, but the Patna Pirates have every reason to go after Pawan Sehrawat at the PKL 2022 Auction. The Pirates had an excellent 2022 season, putting in strong performances in both the raiding and defending departments.
Patna Pirates had a brilliant 2022 season in both the raiding and defending departments. Sachin Tanwar, Prashanth Kumar Rai, and Monu Goyat led the raiding department, while Mohammadreza 'Shadlou' Chiyaneh controlled the defense.
They have retained key defensive players. However, none of the three raiders have been retained. Hence, going after Pawan Sehrawat makes good sense for the Pirates.
Since their defense is already sorted, they can focus on spending their money on raiders. The success shared by Pardeep Narwal at Patna will encourage the Pirates to go for Sehrawat as well.
The Pirates were brilliant last season. However, they lacked the x-factor on occasions, which is where Sehrawat can make a difference.
#2 U Mumba
U Mumba has retained only one player from the Elite Retained Players' Category - captain Rinku. They did so to do away with the players after a disappointing season. Hence, looking to build a fresh team, it would not be surprising to see Mumba go for Sehrawat at the auction.
Mumba has been a defensive team due to the superior performance of their defenders as compared to the raiders. However, it has not led them to success and hence the formula could change in the coming seasons. Who better than Sehrawat to bring that change.
#1 Haryana Steelers
The Haryana Steelers parted ways with Vikash Khandola and are now left without a leading raider at the moment. They are one of only two teams who have opted not to retain a single Elite Player in PKL. It could give them the edge in terms of money to win the eventual bidding war for Sehrawat.
They had an average season 8 in PKL. Vikash's efforts alone was not enough to push them towards the top end of the league. Young raiders like Meetu and Vinay could learn a lot if the Steelers can sign Sehrawat this season.
