Pro Kabaddi League Season 7 Auctions: 5 players who Patna Pirates must target

Patna Pirates ended their 3-season winning streak with a league-stage finish in PKL 6 as the U.P Yoddha narrowly edged them out for a place in the knockouts. Patna's defensive woes was the primary reason for their poor season. Another issue was the fact that no raider was able to support Pardeep Narwal who was the lone ranger for the side in the season.

The side made some surprising retention choices at the auction and chose to retain Tushar Patil, Jawahar Dagar, Vikas Jaglan and Pardeep Narwal ahead of the auction. Patna chose not to retain Jaideep, their best defender from last season, who averaged 2.9 points per match and this clearly showcases Patna's defending problems to everyone.

With the auction coming up on 8th and 9th April, Patna will look to cash in and get the best players on board.

Let's take a look at 5 players who Patna Pirates must target this season at the auction.

Honorable mentions

1) Jaideep- The left corner defender did a decent job last season and showed his composure in some tight situations and deserved to be retained more than Jawahar Dagar. He can be bought again by Patna if they choose to do so and is a good option.

2) Abozar Mighani- Abozar Mighani is one of the best right corners in the business and was pursued relentlessly by the Telugu Titans at the auction before getting him. The Iranian did an average job and scored 56 points last season. His experience may prove to be a game-changer for Patna and is a good option but he won't be top on Patna's priority list.

#5 Naveen Kumar (Dabang Delhi KC)

Matches Played: 22 | Total Points: 177

Young Naveen Kumar did a splendid job for Dabang Delhi KC last season and shouldered the raiding responsibilities. The 18-year old combined well with Chandran Ranjit to score 177 points last season. He became the youngest player to feature in the Pro Kabaddi League and was also the youngest player to score a Super 10.

Patna have always been a team which has supported young talents and groomed the likes of Pardeep Narwal, Rohit Kumar and Manjeet into talented raiders. If Naveen Kumar is acquired by Patna, he can learn a lot from Pardeep while partnering him and sharing the raiding duties. He's nimble-footed and is very quick across the mat and possesses great finesse, whilst being a great exponent of the running hand touch.

It was actually a surprise to see the young talent released by Delhi but Patna should be quick to snap up this wonder-kid at the auction.

#4 Sandeep Narwal (Puneri Paltan)

Sandeep Narwal is an able raider as well.

Matches Played: 18 | Total Points: 66

Sandeep Narwal was a huge influence in Patna's first PKL triumph in Season 3 and has always been a fan-favorite. Initially starting out as a raiding all-rounder, Sandeep has evolved into more of a defending all-rounder and his recent exploits for Puneri Paltan suggest the same. He had a decent outing in PKL Season 6 scoring 66 points, 41 tackle points and 25 raid points for his side.

Pune chose not to retain any of their players and Sandeep will be available for bidding. He's one of the best right corners in the world and his aggression and agility will help Patna to avoid their horror show of a defensive display last season. Jawahar Dagar was pretty poor and Sandeep can be the returning hero for Patna this season.

#3 Vishal Bhardwaj (Telugu Titans)

Vishal Bhardwaj executes a tackle on Deepak Niwas Hooda.

Matches Played: 17 | Tackle Points: 60

Vishal Bhardwaj is one of the most exceptional talents in the Pro Kabaddi League and was the captain of the Telugu Titans last season. The 22-year old came to limelight with his stunning performances for the side in Season 5 and was retained for Season 6. He was however hit by a couple of injuries and missed few games but that didn't deter his performance.

The exciting left corner was sharp and made few vital tackles for the side and combined well with Abozar Mighani and Farhan Milaghardan. Surprisingly, Telugu Titans chose not to retain him ahead of the season and this will be a great opportunity for Patna to grab him. He scored 60 points in 17 matches and averaged 3.52 tackle points and though there will be a lot of teams bidding for him, Patna should get him and beef up their defense which was their Achilles Heel last season.

#2 Parvesh Bhainswal (Gujarat Fortune Giants)

Matches Played: 25 | Tackle Points: 86

Parvesh Bhainswal was the 2nd best defender in PKL Season 6 and undoubtedly the best defender for the Gujarat Fortune Giants last season. The left cover defender was at his best and scored 86 tackle points and was a menace to any raider who came into raid.

He was very quick to assess the situation and was a very effective tackler and has a very dominant physique. Parvesh formed a strong partnership with captain and right cover defender Sunil Kumar. He was unlucky to end up as the runners-up in two successive seasons playing for Gujarat. He was surprisingly released by Gujarat but this means that several teams will be gunning for him.

Patna Pirates, however, should be the team which needs him the most because they never had a good cover defender last season. They tried out all possible defensive combination yet they weren't able to find the right man for the job.

Parvesh is remarkably mature for a 22-year old and knows when to hold off on tackles and doesn't rush into tackles like what Patna did last season. He is a perfect fit for Patna and should be one of their top targets this season.

#1 Monu Goyat (Haryana Steelers)

Monu Goyat made a name for himself due to his stellar performances along with Pardeep Narwal in the historic Season 5 of the PKL. Monu subsequently fetched ₹1.53 Crore at the auction and was the most expensive player at last year's auction and was bought by the Haryana Steelers. The Steelers looked a promising side but lost few crucial players due to injuries but their young players stepped up and rose to the occasion.

Monu Goyat too had a good run after initial troubles and scored 160 points in 20 matches and expected to be retained. The Steelers, however, opted not to do so and this means that Monu Goyat can fetch huge amounts this season as well.

Patna should sign Monu Goyat this season and he must be their top target purely because of his partnership with Pardeep Narwal. Just because he was the perfect foil for Pardeep in Season 5, he doesn't need to be the same this season too. He can be Pardeep's raiding partner rather than his deputy and if both the players combine, Patna will be a force to reckon with. It might take some money out of their purse but if they get Monu Goyat, it's worth the money.