Pune team analysis: Pune retains core players in its bid to reclaim PKL title

PUNE: Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 champion Puneri Paltan will be keen to get their hands on the PKL title once Season 12 commences on August 29.

Puneri Paltan has been one of the most consistent teams in the league, having reached the Playoffs in six out of the 11 editions. However, they finished a disappointing eighth last season with just nine wins in 22 games.

Ahead of Season 12, Puneri announced former Indian kabaddi captain Ajay Thakur as their head coach. The 39-year-old has been promoted to the role of head coach after he was appointed as their assistant coach in Season 11.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest kabaddi players of all time, Ajay was part of the Indian kabaddi team that won gold medals at the 2014 Asian Games and the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup. He was awarded the Padma Shri and the Arjuna Award in 2019.

Having featured in the first seven editions of the Pro Kabaddi League as a player, Ajay ended his PKL career with 816 points in 121 matches, including 794 raid points and 22 tackle points.

Meanwhile, Puneri Paltan appointed Ashok Shinde as the head strategist for the upcoming season. He was earlier named their head coach in the middle of last season after BC Ramesh stepped down.

Despite missing out on a Playoffs spot last campaign, Puneri Paltan decided to retain most of their players for the forthcoming season. Additionally, the Season 10 winners added eight new players at the PKL Season 12 Player Auction to assemble a formidable squad for a total amount of INR 5 crore.

Strengths

One of Puneri Paltan’s undeniable strengths heading into PKL Season 12 is their strong raiding unit. Ahead of PKL Season 12 Player Auction, Puneri Paltan ensured they retained Pankaj Mohite, who was their standout raider last season with 110 raid points in 22 matches.

Furthermore, they managed to retain their experienced raider, Mohit Goyat, who contributed 83 raid points in 19 games last season. Puneri have also retained their captain, Aslam Inamdar, who will once again play a key role in their attack. Earlier, in Season 11, Puneri Paltan lost momentum after their skipper Aslam was ruled out due to a knee injury.

Later, at the season 12 player auction, Puneri Paltan further strengthened their attack by acquiring the services of star raider Sachin Tanwar for Rs 1.058 crore. Considered to be one of the top raiders in the league, Sachin has already accumulated 1,034 raid points in 145 matches in his stellar PKL career.

Puneri Paltan have also signed Iranian raiders Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh (Rs 13 lacs), Milad Mohajer (Rs 13.50 lacs) and Indian raider Stuwart Singh (Rs 13 lacs) to reinforce their raiding department.

Weaknesses

While Puneri Paltan’s attack looks strong on paper, their defence could be a potential weakness in Season 12. Even though they managed to retain their star right cover Abinesh Nadarajan ahead of the Season 12 auction, they failed to sign any backup for Abinesh in the right cover position. Hence, any injury or loss in form for Abinesh could risk their chances of success in the upcoming season.

Opportunities

As far as opportunities are concerned, Puneri have several talented youngsters who will be aiming to hog the limelight in PKL Season 12. All-rounder Mohd Amaan is one such player who will be looking to grab his opportunities after Puneri Paltan used their Final Bid Match (FBM) card to retain him for two seasons for INR 35 lacs. Playing in the left corner position, Amaan showcased his talent and played 14 matches for Puneri Paltan in Season 11.

Threats

One of the biggest concerns for Puneri Paltan will be the fitness of their captain, Aslam Inamdar. Star all-rounder Aslam will make a comeback in Pro Kabaddi Season 12 after missing the majority of last season. The 25-year-old played seven games in Season 11 and was later ruled out after he suffered a meniscus tear in his knee, which required a surgical operation. With 480 raid points and 65 tackle points in 70 games, Aslam’s numbers are pretty impressive, and hence his fitness will determine how Puneri Paltan’s upcoming campaign pans out.