With a new head coach and a reinforced squad, Tamil Thalaivas look to change fortunes in PKL Season 12

After two consecutive seasons of league-stage exits, Tamil Thalaivas will look for a fresh start in a bid for their maiden Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) title in Season 12 starting on August 29.

Since making their Pro Kabaddi debut in 2017, the Thalaivas have qualified for the Playoffs only once in Season 9, 2022.

Under a dual-coach system involving Udayakumar as head coach and Dharmaraj Cheralathan as strategy coach, the Thalaivas registered eight wins in 22 matches to finish ninth in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 11 standings.

Ahead of PKL Season 12, the Thalaivas released both their coaches Udayakumar and Dharmaraj Cheralathan after their underwhelming Season 11 campaign.

The Chennai-based team has roped in two-time PKL title-winning coach Sanjeev Baliyan, who previously led Patna Pirates to victory in Season 3 and Jaipur Pink Panthers in Season 9. They also appointed Suresh Kumar as their assistant coach to return to a traditional coaching structure.

Despite failing to qualify for the PKL Playoffs last season, the Thalaivas retained most of their core squad prior to the Season 12 Player Auction. They have further signed five new players at the auction to assemble a strong squad for a total amount of INR 4.973 crore.

With that said, let’s take a closer look at the Thalaivas’ strengths and weaknesses ahead of PKL Season 12.

Strengths

Tamil Thalaivas will undoubtedly possess one of the strongest raiding units in the upcoming edition of the Pro Kabaddi League.

At the PKL Season 12 Player Auction, the Thalaivas strengthened their squad by acquiring the services of Raid Machine, Arjun Deshwal, for a whopping INR 1.405 crore. Considered to be one of the top raiders in the league, the former Jaipur Pink Panthers captain has already accumulated 1,174 raid points in 114 games in his illustrious PKL career. He will bring wealth of experience to the Thalaivas’ setup.

Additionally, the Thalaivas signed former Telugu Titans skipper Pawan Sehrawat for INR 59.50 lacs to bolster their raiding department. Nicknamed the “Hi-Flyer”, all-rounder Pawan Sehrawat has amassed 1,318 raid points and 70 tackle points in 139 matches since making his PKL debut in Season 3.

The Thalaivas have also retained Moein Shafaghi and Narender Kandola, who were their standout raiders last season. While Iranian all-rounder Moein racked up 103 raid points, Narender contributed with 82 raid points in Season 11.

The likes of Vishal Chahal (right raider), Dhiraj Ravindra Bailmare, Yogesh Yadav, Abhiraj Manoj Pawar (left raider) and Rohit Kumar Beniwal (left raider) are the other attacking options in the squad.

Weaknesses

It will be interesting to see how the Thalaivas’ defence rises to the challenge in PKL Season 12. While they have captain Sagar Rathee, Nitesh Kumar, new recruits Alireza Khalili, Mohit and Suresh Jadhav in the corner positions, one of the biggest weaknesses that the Thalaivas may have to deal with is the lack of top players in their cover positions.The Thalaivas have Ronak and Tarun as their right covers, while retaining the likes of Anuj Kaluram Gawade and Aashish in the left cover positions. While they may lack extensive PKL experience, this season will be their chance to prove their mettle.

Opportunities

With an aim to clinch their first-ever PKL trophy, the Thalaivas have appointed Sanjeev Baliyan, one of the most successful head coaches in the league’s history, as their new head coach.

Sanjeev Baliyan boasts a brilliant coaching record in the PKL, winning titles with Patna Pirates in Season 3 and Jaipur Pink Panthers in Season 9. Under Baliyan’s guidance, the Pink Panthers have also qualified for the PKL Playoffs in the previous three seasons before ending his stint after PKL Season 11. He will have the opportunity to script history and guide the Thalaivas to the PKL Season 12 glory.

Meanwhile, Pawan Sehrawat will be aiming to regain his top form after struggling with injuries in the previous seasons. In Season 11, the veteran all-rounder played 13 matches for Telugu Titans and was later sidelined after succumbing to an unfortunate injury. Earlier, representing the Thalaivas, Pawan suffered a knee injury in PKL 9 season opener against Gujarat Giants in November 2022. He was ruled out of the tournament and had undergone surgery for the same. After rejoining the Thalaivas at the PKL Season 12 Player Auction, Pawan will be hoping to repay their faith with some match-winning performances and an injury free campaign.

Threats

A lot of how the Tamil Thalaivas’ season unfolds could depend on the form of Nitesh Kumar and captain Sagar Rathee. Right corner Sagar and left corner Nitesh are the experienced defenders in the Thalaivas’ setup for the upcoming PKL Season 12. With 77 tackle points in 22 games, Nitesh was their standout defender last season as he finished with the third-most tackle points in Season 11. He will need to continue his brilliant form in the forthcoming season. However, Sagar will be returning after playing just a solitary game in PKL Season 11. The talented right corner missed the majority of last season due to an injury. While Sagar has accumulated 226 tackle points in 71 matches, there will be some injury concerns heading into the new season.

Just like Sagar, Pawan Sehrawat has suffered multiple injuries that have sidelined him from games in recent seasons, including nine matches last campaign. Any further injury to Pawan in Season 12 could put huge pressure on the likes of Arjun Deshwal and Narender Kandola in the Thalaivas’ raiding department.

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