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VIVO Pro Kabaddi 2019 is set to commence from 20th July 2019 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad where the hosts Telugu Titans will face off against U Mumba in the opening fixture of PKL 7.
Tamil Thalaivas were one out of four teams that made their debut in season 5 and featured in season 6 as well. In both seasons, the Thalaivas failed to qualify for the playoffs and found themselves at the bottom of the table at the end of both seasons.
The team looked strong on paper ahead of season 6. The captain of the Thalaivas, Ajay Thakur led the offensive attack extremely well as he went on to become the fifth-best raider of the tournament. However, he did not receive support in the raiding unit as the Thalaivas were knocked out of tournament.
On the defensive front, Manjeet Chhillar had a decent season as he finished as the 9th best defender of season 6. He executed breath-taking tackles and ensured that the defensive unit remained composed in their matches.
However, these individual signs of brilliance for Thalaivas were not enough for the team to qualify again. Ahead of the PKL 7 auctions, the Tamil Thalaivas retained Ajay Thakur, Manjeet Chhillar, Victor Onyango Obiero, Ponprathiban Subramanian (NYP), and Anand (NYP).
Under the guidance of head coach E Bhaskaran, the team signed 18 players in the auction with star-raider Rahul Chaudhari as their most expensive buy at ₹94 lakh. With PKL 7 only a few days away, here is a look at three possible reasons why the Tamil Thalaivas could win the Pro Kabaddi title.
#3 The raiding duo of Rahul Chaudhari and Ajay Thakur
The highest total points' scorer in Pro Kabaddi at the moment, Rahul Chaudhari was signed up by the Tamil Thalaivas from the PKL 7 auctions. From six seasons with the Telugu Titans, Rahul Chaudhari has 825 raid points from 100 matches at an average of 8.25 raid points per game.
Rahul is the second-highest raid points scorer with 36 super 10s to his name. Having outstanding numbers to his name, his running hand touch is the star raider's biggest strength with an ability to raid from both left and right sides.
He will be accompanied by skipper Ajay Thakur, who has been the best raider of the Thalaivas till date. Having made his Thalaivas debut in season 5, Thakur has scored 429 raid points in 44 matches at an average of 9.75 raid points for his side.
Both Rahul and Thakur are star raiders who have the skill to turn any match around single-handedly. They will form a potent raiding duo which could allow Rahul to raid without pressure, with Thakur set to back him up.
#2 Immense experience in the defensive set up
Tamil Thalaivas wear an outlook as one of the strongest sides on paper in terms of defense. They made some top signings with the addition of Mohit Chhillar and Ran Singh from the PKL 7 auction.
Mohit Chhillar has been a stalwart in the right corner defense over the years as he is the fourth-best defender of the league. The chain-tackle and block specialist has 240 tackle points to his name from 91 matches at an average of 2.64 tackle points. The lethal left corner defender Ran Singh is also a veteran, and is the tenth-best defender of the league with 199 tackle points from 99 matches at an average of 2.01 tackle points.
This corner duo of the Tamil Thalaivas is the most experienced amongst all the teams in PKL 7.
Additionally, with 302 tackle points to his name from just 93 matches, Manjeet Chhillar is the best defender in Pro Kabaddi history till date. He has 21 High 5s at an average of 3.25 tackle points per game with a tackle percentage of 55.92%. He has one of the deadliest blocks in the game and can execute dives, thigh holds and dashes as well.
With such experienced defensive set-up, the Tamil Thalaivas have leaders in their defensive unit who have the capability to turn matches around single-handedly. The alliance of these three stalwarts will go a long way in deciding the fate of the Thalaivas.
#3 Perfect mix of youth and experience
The team management made some smart buys in the Pro Kabaddi 2019 auction where they grabbed the headlines with signings such as raiding sensation Rahul Chaudhari, Shabeer Bapu among others, who will undoubtedly add experience to the squad.
Young raiders, namely V Ajith Kumar, Yashwant Bishnoi, Anand, and Vineet Sharma bring fierceness with their ability to score points in the crucial stages of the matches. They can revive their experienced players or save the team from all-out situations.
Likewise, the addition of Mohit Chhillar and Ran Singh to the line-up ensures that the team's defensive unit wears a formidable outlook. The Thalaivas signed Ajith for a big price, who brings excitement and adds fresh legs to the squad in his debut season at the right cover position.
Himanshu, Ponprathiban Subramanian, Iranian Milad Sheibak, and M Abhishek are the first-timers in the league on who the team management can rely upon when required.
The experienced veteran Manjeet Chhillar will lead the defensive unit for Thalaivas with a fantastic skill set. Kenyan Victor Obiero and Hemant Chauhan could showcase their skills and prove their mettle to book themselves a permanent spot in the team.
Overall, the Tamil Thalaivas have a perfect balance of youth and mix-up in their squad for season 7. With the top five in place, the addition of two more players in the starting 7 could prove to have a major say on the outcome of each game for the Thalaivas.
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