Jaipur Pink Panthers Team Preview Season 7: Champions of the inaugural season, Jaipur Pink Panthers have been through a rollercoaster ride in the Pro Kabaddi League. After lifting the trophy in the first season, Panthers failed to maintain their form and couldn’t qualify for the playoffs in Season 2 and Season 3. However, Panthers made amends with their performance and reached the finals in Season 4 but again to crash out of the league stage in Season 5.
What Did They Do in Season 6?
Jaipur Pink Panthers failed to make a mark and had a dull season last year. The superstars in the team were unable to perform according to their reputation, and they finished second last in Zone A.
How Did They Fare in the Auctions?
Prior to the auction, team management of Jaipur Pink Panthers decided to retain their star players Deepak Niwas Hooda and Sandeep Kumar Dhull alongside young Indian talent Ajinkya Pawar and Lokesh Kaushik. The team management rightly spent 25.78% of their total purse to retain Deepak Hooda.
Jaipur Pink Panthers made some subtle moves in the auction and made the bargain buys in Deepak Narwal for 30.5 lakh and Nilesh Salunkhe for 23.5 lakh.
However, the Panthers from Jaipur invested heavily on their former right corner defender, Amit Hooda and signed the player for 53 lakh.
Pink Panthers also acquired the services of Left Cover Vishal Lather for whom the team spent 20.25 lakh in the auction.
Team management also signed Sachin Narwal and Dong Gyu Kim hailing from Korea to plug in the holes in their squad. Overall, Jaipur Pink Panthers had a good auction, and they managed to build a team of match-winners who can win the matches on their own.
Strengths:
The raiding unit of Panthers is filled with a plethora of match winners such as Deepak Hooda, Nilesh Salunke and Deepak Narwal. Add to that the exuberance of Nitin Rawal, Ajinkya Pawar and Lokesh Kaushik and the offense of the Panthers look formidable.
Weaknesses:
On Paper, the only position which looks rather weak for Panthers is Left Cover. Nitin Rawal’s positioning as a left cover proved ineffective last year, and this would be, probably the only issue to address for the Panthers team management.
How do the Jaipur Pink Panthers Look?
Balanced
The Panthers got all the bases covered in the auctions. The team management has succeeded in assembling a team of superstars with adequate backup options. The Jaipur-based franchise has one of the most balanced teams in the league this season.
What to Expect from the Jaipur Pink Panthers in Season 7?
Expect fireworks from the Panthers in Season 7. Anything less than playoffs will not be acceptable this season as they look good enough to get their hands on the prestigious Pro Kabaddi League trophy for the second time in their history.
Players to Watch Out For:
Amit Hooda: The ankle hold specialist Amit Hooda, has scored 193 tackle points in 72 matches in his Pro Kabaddi League career. Given that Jaipur-based franchise has a lot of youngsters in the defensive unit, the onus will be on the Right corner defender to lead the defense of the franchise.
Deepak Niwas Hooda: India’s premier all-rounder, Deepak Niwas Hooda was the lone bright spot in otherwise a sorry campaign for the Jaipur Pink Panthers side in Season 6. Besides being the third highest point scorer of the Pro Kabaddi League, Deepak also is the most experienced player in the Jaipur squad. He once again will have the responsibility of guiding the Panthers through the season.
Jaipur Pink Panthers Full Squad:
Raiders: Ajinkya Pawar, Lokesh Kaushik, Sushil Gulia, Deepak Narwal, Nilesh Salunke, and Malinda Chaturanga
Defenders: Sandeep Kumar Dhull, Pavan TR, Amit Hooda, Sunil Siddhgawali, and Karamvir
All-Rounders: Deepak Niwas Hooda, Sachin narwal, Dong Gyu Kim, Vishal, Nitin Rawal, and Santhapanselvam
Probable Playing 7 for Jaipur Pink Panthers in Season 7:
Amit Hooda (Right Corner), Deepak Narwal (Right In), Sunil Siddhgavali (Right Cover), Deepak Niwas Hooda (Center), Vishal Lather (Left Cover), Ajinkya Pawar (Left In), and Sandeep Dhull (Left Corner)
