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The inaugural champions of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), the Jaipur Pink Panthers, are yet again on the brink of a revival in their fortunes. The franchise, owned by Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, is one of the most popular teams in the Pro Kabaddi League.
Jaipur Pink Panthers had a stellar run in the first half of Pro Kabaddi Season 7, winning seven out of 10 matches to lead the standings for a long time. However, injuries and illnesses to a few key players derailed their campaign. The Panthers could only manage two wins out of the remaining 12 matches and fell short of qualifying for the playoffs for the third season running.
At the Pro Kabaddi Auction 2021, Jaipur Pink Panthers managed to retain crucial members of their squad from PKL Season 7. Deepak Niwas Hooda and Sandeep Dhull were picked up at the auction using the Final Bid Match (FBM) card to add to the retained core of Amit Hooda, Vishal Lather and Nitin Rawal.
The biggest investment made by the Panthers was for Arjun Deshwal, the former U Mumba raider who had a strong campaign in PKL Season 7. The Panthers also had a change of guard in their management, with former U Mumba head coach Sanjeev Baliyan replacing Srinivas Reddy at the helm.
The franchise also signed handy players at the auction, with a good crop of youngsters and veterans leading the charge for the Panthers in Pro Kabaddi 2021. On that note, we take a look at their potential starting seven this season.
Left Corner - Sandeep Dhull
The Pink Panthers used the FBM card to get Sandeep Dhull back into their ranks for a sum of ₹45 lakh. One of the most successful left corner defenders in recent PKL history, Sandeep Dhull will be the man in the left corner position.
He has scored a total of 140 tackle points in the last two seasons and forms a solid corner combination with Amit Hooda.
Left In - Deepak Niwas Hooda
The skipper of the Jaipur Pink Panthers for the third season running, Deepak Niwas Hooda, will be the key man as usual in the starting seven. Thanks to his pedigree of over 120 PKL matches and 856 raid points, Deepak Niwas Hooda is nothing short of a Pro Kabaddi legend.
With his penchant for scoring consistently, the Indian skipper is likely to have another memorable season for the Panthers.
Left Cover - Vishal Lather
Vishal Lather is a player that is not talked about very often but he is very impactful on the mat. He played in crucial left cover position for the Panthers and formed the core of their defense along with Amit Hooda and Sandeep Dhull last season. Lather managed to score a total of 47 tackle points in 16 matches for them.
An unfortunate injury forced him out of many matches which ultimately impacted the Panthers' playoff chances. Despite that, the Panthers showed faith in him and retained him as an Elite player, which is a testament to his role in the squad.
Center - Nitin Rawal
Nitin Rawal has been touted as one of the most exciting all-rounders in the Pro Kabaddi League over recent seasons. He is a handy third raider in the team and can be useful in do-or-die raid situations due to his speed.
Rawal can also function as a corner defender whenever required and has shown his prowess with a few Super Tackles to his credit.
Right Cover - Pavan TR
Pavan TR was one of the finds of the Pro Kabaddi Season 7 for Jaipur Pink Panthers. He managed to make an impact in the limited chances that he had the previous season, even registering a Super Tackle against the legendary Ajay Thakur.
Pavan TR has been retained as an Existing New Young Player and is expected to start in the right cover position for the Panthers.
Right In - Arjun Deshwal
The biggest buy for the Jaipur Pink Panthers, Arjun Deshwal, cost them about ₹96 lakh at the Pro Kabaddi 2021. Deshwal had a productive season for U Mumba in PKL Season 7, scoring 104 raid points in 19 matches.
Along with Deepak Niwas Hooda and Nitin Rawal, he will form a solid raiding unit for the Panthers.
Right Corner - Amit Hooda
One of the deadliest right corners in Pro Kabaddi, Amit Hooda, has been a mainstay in the league for many years. In sixteen matches in PKL Season 7, Hooda scored 44 tackles.
Amit Hooda forms a strong corner partnership with Sandeep Dhull and the duo will be backed to deliver the returns on the kabaddi mat as the Panthers push for a Pro Kabaddi 2021 playoff spot.
