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Three-time champions Patna Pirates failed to qualify for the Pro Kabaddi League playoffs last season. The Patna-based franchise released some top names like Rohit Gulia and Mohammadreza Shadlu from their squad ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction.
The Pirates spent ₹4.391 crore to form their squad for the 10th edition of the PKL. They retained the likes of Neeraj Kumar and Sachin Tanwar while adding a game-changer in the form of Manjeet Dahiya to their squad.
In this listicle, we will form the best possible playing seven for the Patna Pirates in Pro Kabaddi 2023.
Center - Manjeet Dahiya
Manjeet Dahiya was the costliest signing by the Pirates at the PKL 2023 Auction. The former Puneri Paltan star received a big contract worth ₹92 lakh from the Pirates. This marks his second stint with the three-time champions.
Dahiya made his PKL debut for the Pirates in 2018, where he earned 102 points in 22 matches. He has improved a lot since then, and fans will expect him to make a bigger impact this season.
Left Cover - Sajin Chandrasekar
Sajin Chandrasekar returned to the Pirates at the Pro Kabaddi 2023 Auction. The left cover defender played 12 matches for the Patna-based franchise last season, where he earned 10 points.
Chandrasekar had a tackle strike rate of 22% last season. Patna's fans will hope that the left-cover defender improves his strike rate in PKL 10.
Right cover - Neeraj Kumar
Neeraj Kumar was the captain of the Patna Pirates last season. He did not have an eventful campaign as he only earned 30 points in 21 matches. His raid success rate was 8%, while his tackle strike rate was 33%.
Despite his below-par performance, Kumar has received another opportunity to prove himself at the Patna Pirates. This could be the last chance that Patna gives to the right-cover defender.
Left In - Sachin Tanwar
Sachin Tanwar has been a consistent performer for the Patna Pirates since joining them in August 2021. In season eight, he scored 181 points, while in season nine, he ended up with a tally of 179 points.
Although Tanwar finished with 179 points last season, his raid strike rate was less than 50%. The Pirates team management will expect him to improve his raid success rate this season.
Right In - Rakesh Narwal
Rakesh Narwal has moved from Haryana Steelers to Patna Pirates this season. Narwal did a decent job as a supporting raider for the Steelers. He earned 50 points in 15 matches.
With Manjeet Dahiya and Sachin Tanwar present in the squad as main raiders, Narwal will likely continue playing the supporting raider's role. He will aim to revive the two raiders as soon as possible if they get tackled.
Right Corner - Krishan Dhull
Krishan Dhull made his debut for Dabang Delhi KC in season eight and continued with the franchise in season nine. He earned more than 60 points across the two seasons combined, but Delhi did not retain him for PKL 10.
Patna Pirates signed the right corner defender ₹17.20 lakh at the PKL 2023 Auction. He will likely be the first-choice right-corner defender of the team.
Left Corner - Ankit Jaglan
Patna raised quite a few eyebrows when they went all out for Category D all-rounder Ankit Jaglan and spent ₹31.5 lakh for his services. In case you didn't know, Jaglan plays in the left corner position.
Jaglan and Dhull should be the first-choice corner combination of Patna. They will have to ensure that the team does not miss Mohammadreza Shadlu's services much.
Predicted Playing 7 of Patna Pirates in PKL 2023
Manjeet Dahiya (Center), Sajin Chandrasekar (Left Cover), Neeraj Kumar (Right Cover), Sachin Tanwar (Left In), Rakesh Narwal (Right In), Ankit Jaglan (Left Corner) and Krishan Dhull (Right Corner).
