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The sixth edition of the Pro Kabaddi League is just a week away as twelve exciting teams will participate in intense battles on the mat, with star players all across the world set to add some extra spice into the contest.
The Puneri Paltan, a team which has failed to reach the summit clash in the history of the competition will be looking to make a fresh start and with that, a strong statement in the tournament. Ahead of the auctions, the Paltan retained faith in a lot of their players such as newly appointed skipper Girish Maruti Ernak, Sandeep Narwal, Monu, More GB amongst others in order to retain the core of their team.
From the auctions, their biggest signing was the purchase of seasoned raider Nitin Tomar for a whopping sum of ₹115 lakh rupees and the ex-Yoddha skipper will be expected to lead the raiding department while the duo of Girish Ernak and Sandeep Narwal will slot into the corner defenders' positions.
While the team for the sixth season comprises of some excellent talent, there have been some players who have played for the Paltan in the past but have not enjoyed the best of stints. Here are five players who disappointed for the Paltan.
#5 Rohit Kumar Chaudhary
Rohit Kumar started his PKL career with Dabang Delhi and played alongside Kashiling Adake for seasons two and three before he was snapped up by the Puneri Paltan for the fifth season of the league.
However, Rohit certainly did not enjoy a good run by any measure, failing to score consistently as he picked only 13 points from 46 raids across 11 matches. The burly raider just could not cope up with the pace of the game and was often sent off to warm the benches.
For season six, Rohit Kumar will be plying his trade for UP Yoddha under Rishank Devadiga.
#4 Yogesh Hooda
A man of experience, Yogesh Hooda made his debut for the Puneri Paltan in season two of the Pro Kabaddi League and had a moderate season, coming up with useful sets of performances in a few matches.
Hooda played just the four matches in the season and picked 13 points but he could not continue the average run into the third season, his second with the Paltan as he finished with just 8 points from 6 matches with a paltry 21.73% successful raids and 25% of successful tackles.
#3 Dharmaraj Cheralathan
The veteran defender is touted as one of the best defenders to have played the game and has also tasted tremendous success right through the Pro Kabaddi League with 216 points to show from the 77 matches he has played so far.
However, his stint with the Puneri Paltan seemed a little indifferent, as he had to often battle for a place in the starting seven with Sandeep Narwal claiming a stake for the corner defenders' spot.
In the fifth season for the Paltan, his only season with them, Cheralathan picked just 25 points from 18 matches and could muster those points from 64 overall tackles, a far cry from his own high set of standards.
#2 Nitin Tomar
Nitin Tomar created quite a stir at the end of the season five auctions as he emerged as the costliest player, bought for a huge sum of ₹95 lakh by the UP Yoddha. While his talent was undoubtedly special, what made the purchase surprising was his form in the fourth season with the Puneri Paltan.
A top raider capable of putting any opposing defense to rest, Tomar could not manage to strike continually, and with just 34 points from 12 matches, finished with a bad show from that season. From 112 raids, Tomar picked just 34 points, highlighting his inefficiency with the Paltan.
#1 Ajay Thakur
One of the best raiders in the competition without a speck of doubt, Ajay Thakur's experience and understanding of the game have made him a treasured player which also found him a place in the Indian team while most recently, a captain's role in the Asian Games.
For a man of the stature of Thakur, the lanky raider did not have a good outing with the Paltan by his lofty standards as he could just pick 56 points from 14 matches in the third season of the league, his first for the Paltan, while in the fourth season managed only 64 points from 16 matches.
His performance with the Paltan went from bad to worse as he finished with a terrible successful raid percentage of 26.45% from the fourth season that also led him to be released from the team.
