Pro Kabaddi League Season 5: 5 Dabangs from Delhi to watch out for

Much before Delhi was made to follow the odd-even rule on the roads by CM Arvind Kejriwal, the Kabaddi team from the city were secretly roped in to be its brand ambassadors. Look at their finishes in the first four seasons and one would understand why.

By finishing 6th, 7th, 8th and 7th in their four shots at the title, the team ahead of the fifth season, is the only one in the league to have never made it to the top four. Some consistency that, albeit not the kind their fans and owners would have enjoyed.

Cut to season five and a young and newly built squad exudes promise. They may still not have got the biggest names in their ranks, yet there is enough firepower in the side to earn them the label of Season 5 underdogs. Unlike the previous seasons, there is no one man whose reputation is so huge that the responsibility of the team inevitably falls on his shoulders.

In short, for the first time, Dabang Delhi will be playing without the star raider of the first four seasons, Kashiling Adake who first lost his form and then lost his captaincy before losing his place in the side in the last edition of PKL.

The decision to retain and make Meraj Sheykh the captain seems to be an inspired one for he was the sole bright spot in the team's dismal campaign last year. One of the best in business, Sheykh can breach the hitherto impenetrable top 4 with a team that has more substance than flair.

Here are the five names that will hold the aces for Dabang Delhi.

#1 Meraj Sheykh

After Kashiling Adake's loss of form last season, the reins of the Dabang team were handed to the Iranian. Although the team's fortunes didn't change there was a certain semblance of sanity in the way the team carried itself.

As captain of Iran, Meraj did better when he had better resources at his disposal as Iran sprinted to the finals of the Kabaddi World Cup last year. Keeping all this in mind, Sheykh has been given the responsibility of leading the Dabang side once again.

As a player, there is little to worry about the Iranian who is a workhorse and performs consistently over long periods punctuated by match-winning performances. Moreover, with prior experience in the leadership department, it is expected that Sheykh's game will not suffer under the burden of it.

Despite being one of the respected names in the league, communication can become a problem for the Iranian when it comes to leading a team in the Pro Kabaddi League.

#2 Abolfazl Maghsodlou

U Mumba didn't really tap into his talent. Patna also gave him hardly any time on the mat. Can Delhi give enough chances to this player? With his Iran captain Meraj Sheykh leading the franchise, it is likely that he will get more chances.

While his statistics aren't awe inspiring yet, with the kind of potential this raider holds, the viewers are not too far from seeing him making it to the top five of the most raid points list.

His height combined with his swiftness makes him a really dangerous customer who can bag many a touch points with ease. While he may not have hogged pre tournament discussions, Maghsoudlou can very well turn out to be Delhi's ace in this season.

#3 Ravi Dalal

Despite Dalal's career graph seeing a downward curve after his blistering first encounter with the league, the Delhi management decided to put their money on him. Dalal does bring a lot of energy to the team but the raid points don't come like the first season anymore.

In the first season, he collected 111 raiding points but the points have trickled since then. In the absence of a highly experienced raider in the team, Delhi would need Dalal to find his mojo back and deliver consistently.

#4 Bajirao Hodage

He might possess a slender frame but his block and dash are lethal. Hodage was the pillar of Patna's defence last season when he defended in tandem with the like of Atrachali and Oshtorak.

By shelling out a hefty 44.5 lakhs to bring him to the Delhi squad, the attempt of the management is to revive the Shinde-Hodage partnership that wowed the crowds in season three when the duo paired up for Bengal Warriors.

After missing out on the first couple of seasons due to injuries, Hodage has done amazingly well to establish himself as one of the most dependable names in defence. The responsibility on him this time will be to deliver for a team that has perennially underperformed.

#5 Nilesh Shinde

Nilesh Shinde and Kabaddi together might look at antithetical but they definitely aren't. Shinde is one of the oldest in the league and comes with a double chin and a paunch. But once he is on the mat, he is as effective as someone half his age.

A calm and composed customer famous in the league for his super tackles, Shinde will feel relieved to not be bearing the burden of captaincy this year, although there is a chance that on account of his massive experience, he will be the second in command to the Iranian Meraj Sheykh.

Besides, the fans will be licking their lips in anticipation to see a reunion of Shinde with Bajirao Hodage, a pair that propelled even the Bengal Warriors to the playoffs in the season 4.