Pro Kabaddi League Season 6: 7 notable Indian players excluded in Elite Player retention

The Pro Kabaddi League today released the list of players retained for Season 6 by the 12 franchises.

And it was an interesting list as there were some notable names missing. Some of the teams retained only one player (Dabang Delhi, Haryana Steelers, Bengaluru Bulls) but we also saw three teams retaining zero players - U Mumba, UP Yoddha and Jaipur Pink Panthers.

That said, we take a look at seven Indian players who were conspicuously absent from this retained list considering their performances last season and in general.

Rahul Chaudhari (Telugu Titans)

We start with the poster boy of Pro Kabaddi. The man who has been with the Telugu Titans since the start of the league has not been retained by his franchise.

Chaudhari is the all-time PKL leader in raid points with 666 points. Only one other raider has crossed the 600 mark, a certain Pardeep Narwal.

But Chaudhari didn't have the best of times in Season 5. In a bigger and more competitive league, he finished 6th in raid points with 184. There were also question marks over his captaincy, a fact illustrated by how the Titans' form improved after he relinquished the role.

There were times as well that he was guilty of playing a little too selfishly, for his records, and for all his raiding prowess, the Titans have never come close to winning the title in five seasons.

Maybe that has finally led to Chaudhari and the Titans parting ways.

Monu Goyat (Patna Pirates)

The Patna Pirates triumphed in season 5 with a below-average defensive team.

So how did they triumph? They had two top-class, elite raiders in the irrepressible Pardeep Narwal and the ever consistent Monu Goyat.

That duo combined for a vast majority of the Pirates' points, Goyat finishing 4th overall last season with 191 points to his name. He outperformed the likes of Nitin Tomar, Rahul Chaudhari and Rishank Devadiga.

And he was crucial to Patna's success, especially in the games where Pardeep struggled. He would keep the points coming in and would revive Pardeep from the bench.

So his is a very surprising omission, especially after Pirates coach Ram Mehar Singh said, "We have two tigers", in praise of Pardeep and Goyat last season.

Goyat also had four Super Raids to his name in season 5 along with nine Super 10s.

Nitin Tomar (UP Yoddha)

The man from Services who is one of India's brightest young prospects moved to the new UP Yoddha franchise last season.

He was made the captain and was one of the two lead raiders for the team along with Rishank Devadiga.

Nitin finished the season with 167 points, 8th overall. He had 7 Super Raids (4th overall) and 7 Super 10s.

He's one of the smartest raiders in the business and he keeps adding new moves to his arsenal every season. Last season, we saw him use the running toe-touch to great effect, something which no other raider was able to replicate.

Yoddha being a new franchise, one expected them to retain their star captain and it is even more surprising they didn't, considering they did not retain their other raider in Rishank either.

Deepak Hooda (Puneri Paltan)

Possibly the best all-rounder in India, Deepak had a fantastic season last time around.

He was retained over Manjeet Chhillar to lead the Paltan last season and he did a fantastic job. He finished as the 7th-best raider with 172 points and was 3rd in Super Raids with eight to his name.

He was easily the biggest difference-maker for the Paltan. If Paltan have no plans to bring him back in the draft, then he will surely be the player the other franchises go after.

Considering they retained players such as Rajesh Mondal and Girish Ernak, it was surprising they didn't retain their captain.

Jeeva Kumar (UP Yoddha)

One of the mainstays of the super-strong U Mumba sides from seasons 1 to 4, Jeeva also played for the Yoddha last season.

Jeeva is one of the best cover defenders in the league. He is 10th overall in tackle points with 155 points and is fantastic in timing his dash.

He's a very experienced campaigner and was expected to help the young Yoddha team in their first season. He, however, struggled as he largely played with an inexperienced set of defenders.

But despite his struggles, Jeeva was exceptional when it came to defending with three players and less. A master at such situations, Jeeva had the most Super Tackles in season 5, with 7 to his name.

An experienced hand like Jeeva will be a huge boost to whoever signs him this season.

Surender Nada (Haryana Steelers)

A master of the ankle-hold, Nada captained a team from his home state last season, the Haryana Steelers.

As has been the case, he played the left corner while his good buddy Mohit Chhillar played the right corner.

Nada had a brilliant season as he led the Steelers to the playoffs despite the absence of star names.

He was up there in most of the defensive categories in season 5.

He had the most tackle points (80), had the most successful tackles (74), had the second-most Super Tackles (6) and had the most High 5s (9).

So, by all accounts, it was a brilliant individual season for Nada and also a bright debut season for the Steelers, so it is intriguing that they haven't retained him.

Let's see if he and Mohit Chhillar play for the same side again as they have done in every season of PKL.

Vishal Bhardwaj (Telugu Titans)

The 21-year-old left corner defender was impressive in season five.

He was one of the few bright sparks in what was a disappointing campaign for the Titans.

Whenever Bhardwaj played well, the Titans performed well. He was 3rd in tackle points (71), 3rd in successful tackles (68) and 3rd in High 5s (5). Only Surender Nada and Surjeet Singh performed better as far as defenders were concerned in season 5.

He would have been a good young, foundational piece to build on for the Titans, but I guess they have other plans. Of course, they could still get him back in the draft.