The turn that Pro Kabaddi League 2019 took for Patna Pirates had been highly unexpected at the beginning of the season. Three times champions, Pirates were expected to do well in season 7 too but they could not seem to find solid ground for a consistently long time. Although there were some record-breaking highs for the team as well as individual pairs, the lows were proportional, if not more, disappointing too.
When you look at Pro Kabaddi League season 7 performance of Patna Pirates, it is sometimes difficult to find what went wrong for each player. The team selection at the beginning of the season had a good strategy and individual players had their strengths for which they were chosen. So why did the Pirates go down so far on the leaderboard? In hindsight, the most prominent realisation is that the mixing of rookies with extremely talented experienced players had a far more polarising effect on the team than was intended. Instead of mixing energetic and young blood with the guidance of older players, the actual outcome was more along the lines of younger ones being more dependent on the older players. It is the main reason why we have seen the team becoming helpless in the face of adversity and when the ace players like Pardeep Narwal are out.
Former Pro Kabaddi player and current coach for Puneri Paltan, Anup Kumar also expressed his surprise about how easy it was to win against the team once you hold back captain Pardeep Narwal. The most important part to focus on for Patna Pirates in 2020 is to build a team that is strong in its own right even without the help of key players like Narwal, Monu and other raiders. It has been made abundantly clear that this season, the team tumbled like a house of cards in front of strong defence by the opposition. In many of the matches, once the raiders were tapped out, the rest of the team could not hold the fort. The lack of leadership and effective teamwork in the absence of Narwal was a glaringly weak point that needs to be worked upon.
In the previous seasons, most of the Pirates line-ups have been good but somehow always following behind the leader Pardeep Narwal. What the team needs now is a squad that can either match up to him or can function just as efficiently without him on the mat. It is not just a game of physical strength and skill, but also of the mind. The team would do well with a stable united front where people can lead individually alongside following the actual leader too. A stronger defence to get points so that the raiders who are outed can be revived is among the top priorities too. A team cannot have consistently good performance without equally strong raiders and defenders. While past seasons have shown just how strong the raiding side of the team always is, the focus on defenders that can raise the bar higher should be a part of the 2020 strategy.
Win or lose, Patna Pirates have shown some great plays and excellent sportsmanship in their journey so far, record-breaking even. So pull up your socks and get ready to see the exciting comeback of Patna Pirates in Pro Kabaddi League season 8!