Expressing his confidence on the duo, head coach Manpreet Singh asserted that he will work closely with the new leadership in building a winning strategy to help the Steelers defend their title.
Photo: IANS
Haryana Steelers, the defending champions of Pro Kabaddi League on Monday unveiled Jaideep Dahiya as captain and Rahul Sethpal as vice-captain for the upcoming season 12, starting August 29.
Expressing his confidence on the duo, head coach Manpreet Singh asserted that he will work closely with the new leadership in building a winning strategy to help the Steelers defend their title.
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“Kabaddi is a game that demands unity and quick decision-making, and both Jaideep and Rahul bring those qualities to the mat. Both have been essential to our success last season, on and off the mat. Their discipline, consistency and exceptional performances inspired the squad and set the benchmark on how we want to tackle this season. With new vigour and focus, the Dhaakad Boys are back this season – we are confident to defend our title and lifting the trophy again,” said coach Manpreet.
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U Mumba hunt for a second PKL title
Led by captain Sunil Kumar, U Mumba looked on course in Season 11 with 12 wins in 22 games to qualify for the PKL Playoffs after three seasons. However, their fruitful came to an end after going down to the Patna Pirates in Eliminator 2.
Despite a commendable show in Season 11, U Mumba had to part ways with head coach Gholamreza Mazandarani, and later brought back Anil Chaprana, who was instrumental in guiding the side to their first Playoffs in 2019.
The U Mumba side also retained their core that guided them to the PKL Season 11 Playoffs and further invested Rs 4.905 crore to sign eight players at the Season 12 Player Auction to assemble a formidable squad. Besides captain Sunil, left raider Ajit Chouhan, right raider Satish Kannan, left corners Deepak Kundu and Lokesh Ghosliya, left covers Sunny and Mukilan Shanmugam and all-rounders Amir Mohammad Zafardanesh and Rohit were also retained.
U Mumba’s formidable defence is likely to be one of their biggest strengths heading into the upcoming Pro Kabaddi season. Skipper Sunil Kumar will once again lead U Mumba’s defence in Season 12. Considered one of the top defenders in the league, Sunil Kumar currently features fifth on the leaderboard for most tackle points (390) in PKL history.
Apart from Sunil, U Mumba used their FBM card for Rs 25.10 lacs for one season to retain left cover Parvesh Bhainswal. U Mumba re-signed Parvesh after he contributed with 38 tackle points in 23 matches and was one of their key players in their defence last season. Rinku (right corner), Lokesh Ghosliya (left corner), Deepak Kundu (left corner), Sunny (left cover), Mukilan Shanmugam (left cover) and Ravi (right cover) are the other defensive options in their squad.
Additionally, U Mumba have bolstered their squad by securing the signature of talented all-rounder Aanil Mohan for a whopping Rs 78 lacs to make him the most expensive player from Category D in PKL history. Widely regarded as one of the top young prospects in the Indian kabaddi circuit, Aanil could emerge as a game-changer for the PKL Season 2 winners in Season 12.
However, with the departure of Manjeet, U Mumba could be overly reliant on their 20-year-old raider Ajit Chouhan, in PKL Season 12. While Ajit showcased his immense potential in Season 11, it will be interesting to see if he can continue his stellar form in the upcoming season.
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