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Kabaddi fans will have a lot to rejoice as Pro Kabaddi 2019 is set to commence from July 20th this year. Slated to be held in a 'double round-robin' format, the upcoming season is expected to be a major source of entertainment for kabaddi fans across the country and all over the world.
Dabang Delhi KC have been the perennial underachievers in the Pro Kabaddi League. Despite having a decent team, the team could not make it to the playoffs for the first five seasons of the league. However, in season 6, a number of aspects clicked for the squad and hence, Dabang Delhi qualified to the playoffs for the first time ever in the history of the league.
Although they could not go all the way to clinch the trophy, their performance last season certainly had some positives that will give them confidence ahead of this season. Coach Krishan Kumar Hooda has formulated the right recipe of youth and experience in his squad and he will count on a number of players to do well.
Here are three such players who can have a massive impact for Dabang Delhi.
#3 Ravinder Pahal
In the history of the Pro Kabaddi League, 'The Hawk' Ravinder Pahal sits second in the list of players who have secured the maximum tackle points. With 263 points from 89 matches, Pahal has a realistic chance of finishing as the season's best defender if he does indeed put up a quality show.
Pahal was the most successful defender for Delhi last season as he secured 59 tackle points for his team. He was an 'impact' player at the right-corner and together with captain Joginder Narwal on the left corner, he was a part of a dangerous partnership.
Released from the squad ahead of the season 7 auctions, Pahal was reprocured for ₹61 lakh in the auction. The team has yet again trusted the experienced player for the upcoming season and having been an instrumental part in Delhi's qualification into the knockouts, he would be expected to repeat his stellar performance in season 7 as well.
#2 Chandran Ranjit
Having featured for the Telugu Titans in season 1 and season 2, Ranjit missed out from action for the next three seasons before he joined forces with the Gujarat Fortune Giants in season 5.
Chandran Ranjit was not able to make an impact until he donned the Dabang Delhi jersey. In season 5, the raider showed his potential and after being given more responsibility in last season, the raider thrived with the franchise.
In the 24 matches he played for the team in season six, the 28-year-old scored 153 raid points which included three Super Raids and as many Super 10s. He was purchased for ₹70 lakh at the auction and thus became the costliest player for his team.
He is likely to share the raiding responsibilities with Naveen Kumar for the upcoming season and hence, we could see yet another season of this entertaining partnership. Chandran Ranjit's performance will be crucial for his team and hence, this season could well see the rise of a complete raider.
#1 Meraj Sheykh
Iran's Meraj Sheykh has been the one of the most successful overseas players in the history of Pro Kabaddi. He is also the first ever overseas player to have captained a PKL team, courtesy of the role he essayed with the Telugu Titans in season 2.
Post that season, Meraj has been with the Dabang Delhi Team. He was the team's captain for two seasons until Joginder Narwal replaced him at the helm for season 6.
With the captaincy burden off his shoulders and a poor season last time around, Meraj will be looking to make amends and could be more dangerous on the mat. The Iranian has a number of tricks up his sleeve while raiding and his watchful play of the opposition while defending will be an asset to the team.
He scored 97 points last season of which 94 points came from his raids. He will be expected to contribute more while defending and if Meraj can improve in this aspect, he could have yet another stellar season as he did in season 5.
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