Pro Kabaddi League Season 11 continues. This season,’ Puneri Paltan is looking to make an unequaled chronicle in the Pro Kabaddi League by becoming the unconventional team to successfully hold the Pro Kabaddi League title.
Rising Pune has been one of the most consistent teams in recent seasons. PKL 10 set a new record for Puneri Paltan with a total of 19 wins, including the playoffs.
Spearheaded by head coach BC Ramesh having two PKL titles to his name, the Puneri Paltan seems to be up for the challenge.
BC Ramesh has also played a very vital role in their success; his strategy was clearly apparent in his prior successful seasons in Bengal Warriors in Season 7 and Puneri Paltan in the last season of the preceding year.
Going into PKL 11, Puneri Paltan will continue with their retained core players from the PKL10, which was an impressive campaign, but the question marks lie in how the team will fill up those missing links.
Strengths: A Stable Core and Strong Leadership
One of Puneri Paltan’s superlative strengths heading into Season 11 is the storage of their core squad, which played an important role in their title win last season.
In the raiding department, they keep trusting Pankaj Mohite, Mohit Goyat, and Akash Shinde—three players who delivered important raid points when it mattered most.
This trio combined to score 274 raid points last season, providing a balanced approach that overwhelmed their opponents at key moments.
Defensively, Puneri Paltan was a force to be reckoned with in PKL 10, recording the most guarantee points 349 and conceding the fewest all-outs 14.
This protective resiliency is mostly credited to players like Sanket Sawant, Abinesh Nadarajan, and Gaurav Khatri, all of whom proceed with the team for Season 11.
Their aggregated efforts once again were important in maintaining Puneri Paltan’s protective strength.
Captain Aslam Inamdar as well as who was named the Most Valuable Player MVP of PKL 10 as well as also returns to lead the squad.
Inamdar, an all-rounder with unmatched versatility, amassed 142 raid points and 26 guarantee points last season. His leadership and comportment on the mat continued to be a driving force.
Additionally, Puneri Paltan’s venue schema saw them acquiring V Ajith Kumar,’ a talented raider, for INR 66 lakh.
Though Kumar had a tremendous performance in PKL, they scored just 80 raid points,’ he brings a riches of have and the effectiveness to be a key endorser in their attack.
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Weaknesses: The Absence of Mohammadreza Chiyaneh
Despite having a solid core, Puneri Paltan will no doubt miss star Iranian all-rounder Mohammad Reza Sheineh.
Playing a key role in winning the league, Sheaneh led the league with 99 tackles in the PKL10 and added 27 assists, making him one of the best players in the league.
Most impressive player on the team. His departure leaves a major gap in defense and attack. And finding the right replacement for such a game-changer will be a big challenge for Puneri Paltan.
Chianeh’s presence on the mat doesn’t just provide a defensive boost. But it also creates fear in opposing attackers.
This makes him a key part of their strategy, although the Puneri division invested in new defenders, including Vishal, Aman, and Mohit, during the PKL 11-player auction. It remains to be seen whether it can be done or not.
Vishal has 174 interceptions throughout his career. Aman, on the other hand, scored 135 runs but did not perform at the required level last season.
Vishal making just 12 tackles and Aman scoring 22 in PKL-10, Puneri’s defense may struggle to make up for the loss of Sheaneh.
Opportunities and Threats: Ajith Kumar’s Comeback and Defensive Challenges
Season 11 gave players like V Ajit Kumar a new opportunity to revive their careers after a disappointing PKL 10, with Kumar posting his lowest attack performance since his debut.
He will be eager to make a statement with the Puneri platoon. Kumar’s career attacking score of 460 says a lot about his potential. He could add another level of depth to Puneri Paltan’s offensive arsenal.
Another player looking to make an impact is left defender Mohd Aman, who is expected to make his PKL debut this season.
Aman has impressed against his home pair. And his debut might make it Puneri.
The Paltans have the spark they need to strengthen their defense, however, as a rookie. He will be under pressure to perform at the highest level from the start.
Puneri Paltan’s left defence, which the departure of Sheaneh has weakened. It could be a possible goal for the opposing team.
The combination of Vishal, Aman and Mohit may not be enough to stop opposing forwards if they are unable to significantly improve on their performance from last season.
Vishal, Aman, and Mohit must rise to this opportunity So that Puneri Paltan’s defense remains as strong as in PKL 10.
Outlook: Aiming for a Place in History
The Puneri division has the talent, experience, and leadership to become the second team in PKL history to defend their title. But much of their success will depend on how they deal with the loss of key players and integrate their new signings.
The leadership of Aslam Inamdar and the rest of the core provides stability, while V Ajit Kumar and Md., they present new possibilities.
However, the departure of Mohamed Reza Sheaneh poses a real threat to their defensive strength. And whether their new defensive recruits can fill the void will be a deciding factor.
If they can overcome these challenges, Puneri Paltan can lead the Pro Kabaddi League once again as Season 11 Champions.
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References:
TheHindu.com
Hindustantimes.com
