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The defense unit plays a tremendous role in the sport of kabaddi since the defenders are the ones who consolidate the lead obtained by the raiders of the team. Several teams have won kabaddi tournaments only because of their powerful defensive units.
Even when has a look at the history of the VIVO Pro Kabaddi League, teams with an excellent defense have always done well in the tournament.
With only Patna Pirates’ season 5 campaign where Pardeep Narwal and Monu Goyat’s frenzy took the team to the title an exception, in every season, a team with a solid defense has gone on to clinch the trophy.
Teams like Gujarat Fortune Giants have always relied more on their defense and their performance demonstrates how much the solidity in the defensive unit matters in kabaddi.
The squads of Pro Kabaddi 2019 have assembled and as we build up to the upcoming season, we have a look at five teams which have the strongest defensive unit.
#5 Dabang Delhi K.C.
Dabang Delhi K.C. emerged as one of the most improved teams of the PKL last year. They entered the playoffs for the first time in PKL history and looking at their season 7 squad on paper, the Joginder Narwal-led side can be pipped to do better in season 7.
The team has accomplished names like Vishal Mane, Ravinder Pahal, Joginder Narwal and Sombir in the defense. This quartet will have the backing of young boys Satywan, Sumit, Saied Ghaffari, Anil Kumar, Pratik Patil and Mohit.
With a whole of defenders to choose from, Delhi might prefer to go with the experienced stars first before trying out other players. They also have the all-rounder Meraj Sheykh and Patna Pirates star, Vijay in their squad and their presence will strengthen the team’s defense.
#4 Gujarat Fortune Giants
The defense unit of Gujarat Fortune Giants has always fared well in the Pro Kabaddi League thanks to the alliance of Sunil Kumar and Parvesh Bhainswal. The combination has proven to be a nightmare for the opposition raiders as getting past their chain has been close to impossible.
Besides the cover duo, Gujarat retained the services of Ruturaj Koravi. Coach Manpreet Singh has infused a lot of young blood in the defensive unit of the Fortune Giants this year as they have lesser known players Amit Kharb, Ankit, Sonu Gahlawat and Sumit as defenders.
Vinod Kumar and Rohit Gulia will feature in the all-rounders department of the team. Though the defense unit does not look great on paper, everyone knows that the Gujrat Fortune Giants tend to punch above their weight.
#3 Puneri Paltan
Puneri Paltan have one of the most star-studded squads in PKL 7. They have stalwarts like Nitin Tomar, Girish Maruti Ernak and PO Surjeet Singh in their team. The Paltans also have Iranian defender Hadi Tajik in the squad which makes them a force to reckon with.
Shifting our focus to the team’s defense, Puneri Paltan had Girish Ernak and have added Surjeet's services to the squad as the main defenders. Besides Hadi Tajik, the Maharashtra franchise also has Deepak Yadav, Jadhav Balasaheb, Satpal, Shubham Shinde and Sanket Sawant in the defense. All-rounder Sagar B Krishna’s presence will give the right amount of balance to the team.
The team has a strong defense and the team management would only hope that the raiders support them well this season. If Puneri Paltan get their combination right, they could well be backed to clinch the title for Pro Kabaddi 2019.
#2 Tamil Thalaivas
The Chennai-based franchise, Tamil Thalaivas have emerged as the underachievers of the Pro Kabaddi League in the past two seasons. Despite having a strong team, the Ajay Thakur-led franchise always lost the plot. However, in 2019, the story may change owing to the fact that the team management has executed their plans to perfection.
Big names like Rahul Chaudhari, Mohit Chillar and Ran Singh have joined the team for season 7. In the defensive unit, Tamil Thalaivas have a host of young defenders in Ajeet, M. Abhishek, P Subramanium, Himanshu, Sagar and Milad Sheibak. They will have the support of seasoned pros Mohit Chhillar, Manjeet Chhillar and Ran Singh in the defense which makes the squad a force to reckon with.
Without a doubt, Tamil Thalaivas have one of the strongest defenses in PKL history but the only reason for concern here will be the fitness of the seniors and the performance of the youngsters. If the Thalaivas do not make it to the top six this time, it will surprise a lot of fans.
#1 U Mumba
Though U Mumba let go of star raider Siddharth Desai, nobody can deny the fact that they have the strongest defense in PKL 7. With two ruthless beasts in the form of Fazel Atrachali and Sandeep Narwal guarding the team’s corner positions, raiding will certainly be an arduous task.
Supporting Narwal and Atrachali will be the aggressive young defender Surender Singh. U Mumba also have some Korean flavor in their defense this time as they have included Young Chang Ko in the squad. Former Telugu Titans star R Subramanium will bring some much-needed experience to U Mumba’s defense.
The U Mumba think tank will be happy for assembling this high quality defense but they have a weak raiding attack in this season. The defense unit will have to play the lead role for U Mumba this year based on which their playoffs hopes will bank on.
