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VIVO Pro Kabaddi 2019 is all set to commence from 20th July 2019. Patna Pirates, the three-time champions are the most successful team in the history of the league, having won three back to back titles from season 3, 4 and 5.
The only team in history to qualify for the playoffs in five editions of the tournament, the Patna Pirates were hit with a massive dent when they failed to qualify for the playoffs in the previous season.
'Dubki King' Pardeep Narwal has been a sensation in the raiding unit for Patna Pirates. He has carried the team's offense single-handedly and has become one of the prime faces of Pro Kabaddi today. He has scored 49.33% of Patna Pirates' raid points from Season 3 till date.
In season 6, the Patna Pirates failed to qualify for the playoffs as the team's defensive unit could not win them matches, apart from the over-dependent nature on Pardeep Narwal which hurt them the most.
The team retained Pardeep Narwal, Vikas Jaglan, and Jawahar Dagar ahead of the season 7 auction and did well to form a decent squad post the auctions with a set of international names such as Jang Kun Lee and Mohammad Esmaeil Maghsoudlu.
Patna Pirates are set to face the Bengaluru Bulls in their first league stage encounter on 20th July 2019. The home leg of Patna Pirates will start from 3rd August 2019 and culminate on 9th August 2019.
With only a few weeks left for the tournament, here is a look at the possible starting seven for the Patna Pirates.
Right Corner: Jawahar Dagar
Jawahar Dagar has been a prominent right corner for Patna Pirates from season 5. He was a part of the Jaipur Pink Panthers but didn't get enough chances to perform up to his caliber on the mat.
An expert in diving thigh holds and running dashes from the corner, Jawahar Dagar is a handy all-rounder who can score tackle points during crucial raids from the opposition. In season 5, he picked up 29 tackle points in 18 matches.
In Season 6, Jawahar did not get enough chances as he lost form in the middle of the tournament. He could pick up only 20 tackle points in 15 matches with two High 5s to his name.
Jawahar was retained by the team ahead of the season 7 auction. As the coach has shown immense faith in him, Jawahar Dagar will have to present consistent performances to book a permanent spot in the playing seven for the team.
Right In: Mohammad Esmaeil Maghsoudlumahalli
Mohammad Esmaeil Maghsoudlu has become a renowned name in international kabaddi. Although he has no prior experience in the Pro Kabaddi League, Mohammad Esmaeil Maghsoudlu was signed by the Patna Pirates for ₹35 lakh.
Representing Iran, Mohammad Esmaeil was an integral part of the silver medal-winning team at the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup and Dubai Kabaddi Masters 2018. He scored 27 raid points in four matches at an average of 6.75 raid points in the Kabaddi Masters.
In the Asian Games 2018 semi-final versus India, Esmaeil Maghsoudlu scored a brilliant High 5 which led his team to a gold medal finish. His fantastic efforts in both offense and defense helped Iran to capture their first-ever gold medal at the Asian Games event.
A versatile all-rounder, Esmaeil Maghsoudlu raids from the right side and can execute dives from the cover defense. He will provide immense support to the team and could be a lethal prospect for the opposition.
Right Cover: Neeraj Kumar
In one of the most shocking buys at the season 7 auction, young Neeraj Kumar was signed by the Patna Pirates for an enormous sum of ₹44.75 lakh. Many teams bid for this young and energetic defender before his services were finally snapped up by the Patna Pirates.
A player from the Services' board coached under Ram Meher Singh, Neeraj Kumar has won many tournaments with the Army team. He was a part of the winning squad of the All India Kabaddi Tournament 2019.
Neeraj Kumar replaced PO Surjeet Singh in the 66th Senior National Kabaddi Championship when Services finished the runners-up of the tournament. He formed a potent cover combination with Mahender Singh in the Nationals and played along with Jaideep, Monu Goyat, Manjeet Dahiya, and GB More in the same team.
Neeraj was also a part of the winning team, Gwalior Ke Maharajas at the Madhya Pradesh Kabaddi League 2018. While his style of play remains unknown, he will be an exciting addition to the defense of Patna with a strong and bold upper body strength.
Center: Pardeep Narwal
The man who needs no introduction in the kabaddi world, Pardeep Narwal has taken the term 'raiding' by storm, becoming the raider with the most raid points in Pro Kabaddi history last season.
With a plethora of records to his name, Pardeep Narwal has 858 raid points from 85 matches at an outstanding average of 10.09 raid points. With 44 Super 10s and 38 super raids to his name, Pardeep Narwal also tops the list of most super 10s, second most successful raids, and most super raids by any Pro Kabaddi player.
Pardeep has innovated every single raiding move in his arsenal, whether it be running hand touches, bonus, escape, jump, or kicks. He gave rise to the 'Dubki' in kabaddi and has scored tons of raid points with this single move.
The go-to man for Patna Pirates, Pardeep Narwal will yet again look to bring supremacy in the raiding unit along with new signing Jang Kun Lee.
Left Cover: Vikas Jaglan
A handy all-rounder, Vikas Jaglan has been a part of the Patna Pirates side right from Pro Kabaddi season 5. Jaglan has been a decent all-rounder for the team with his raiding and defensive work.
In season 5, Jaglan failed to prove his mettle as he could only score 13 total points in 13 games. The raiding duo of Pardeep Narwal and Monu Goyat led the raiding unit which meant that Jaglan did not get too many opportunities.
In season 6, he performed decently in a few matches and contributed well to the team as he played in the cover defense position for Patna. Jaglan also depicted his class on the raiding front as he picked up crucial points in Do or Die raids.
With the left cover defensive position looking bleak in terms of quality, Jaglan can be backed to play a primary role in this season.
Left In: Jang Kun Lee
The most successful foreign raider in Pro Kabaddi till date, Jang Kun Lee is a renowned name from the Republic of Korea. He is the only international player in Pro Kabaddi history to have played for a single team in six seasons, having represented the Bengal Warriors from season 1 to season 6.
Jang Kun Lee's consistency has been a major talking point since the inaugural season. He has been brilliant with his scorpion kicks and has mixed styles from martial arts in his raiding skill.
Lee has scored 411 raid points in 90 matches at an average of 4.57 raid points. With 14 super raids and nine super 10s, Jang Kun Lee is one of the most dependable raiders, especially under crunch situations.
With Pardeep Narwal leading from the front, Jang Kun Lee will form a raiding duo with him and perhaps could prove to be the much-needed support to Pardeep for the upcoming season.
Left Corner: Surender Nada
An ankle-hold specialist and one of the finest left corner defenders in the sport, Surender Nada was signed by the Patna Pirates for a massive amount of ₹77 lakh, having recovered from an injury that kept him out of action during PKL season 6.
Nada represented U Mumba in the first three seasons before he shifted to the Bengaluru Bulls in season 4 and then featured in the Haryana Steelers squad for seasons 5 and 6. His best campaign was in season 5 when he was the top defender of the league with 80 tackle points in 21 matches, averaging 3.81 tackle points per match.
The seventh-best defender of the league, Surender Nada has 222 tackle points in 71 matches at an average of 3.12 tackle points. With 16 super tackles and 19 High 5s, Nada is one of the most lethal left corner defenders, who is brilliant with his unique ankle holds which the opposition raiders struggle to escape.
Surender Nada will lead the defensive charge for Patna Pirates without pressure since Patna have also signed Jaideep as his replacement. While Jaideep's role is yet to be known, it is possible that Surender Nada could also be the captain for the side.
