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Two-time champions Jaipur Pink Panthers failed to make it to the final of the previous Pro Kabaddi League season. Despite retaining a majority of the players from their squad that won PKL 2022/23, the Pink Panthers lost against the Haryana Steelers in the semifinals.
After failing to defend their title in season 10, the Pink Panthers decided to release their PKL winning captain Sunil Kumar. Senior raider Rahul Chaudhari was also let go by the management.
This year, star raider Arjun Deshwal will captain the Jaipur Pink Panthers. The squad features some experienced stars like Surjeet Singh and Vikash Kandola. Ahead of Jaipur's first match in season 11, here's a look at the three reasons why the Pink Panthers can end the tournament as the champions.
#1 Arjun Deshwal
The biggest reason why Jaipur Pink Panthers will start as the favorites to win PKL 11 is their captain and ace raider, Arjun Deshwal. Arjun has been the backbone of the Pink Panthers in the last few seasons.
In season 11, he will lead the team for the first time, and fans will hope that captaincy does not impact his individual performance. If Deshwal can replicate his performances from previous seasons, it will be extremely difficult for the opposition teams to stop Jaipur from winning the trophy.
For the record, Deshwal has earned 952 points in just 91 matches in his career, averaging more than 10 points per game. If a raider consistently scores 10 points per match, he is an invaluable asset to the team.
#2 Jaipur Pink Panthers have 2 quality raiders to support Arjun Deshwal
Another reason why the Pink Panthers will start as the favorites this season is that they have two seasoned campaigners present to support Arjun Deshwal. At the PKL 2024 Auction, the two-time champions roped in Shrikant Jadhav and Vikash Kandola.
Shrikant has 717 points to his name, including 16 Super 10s. Meanwhile, Kandola was the lead raider for the Haryana Steelers at one point in his career.
If the trio of Shrikant, Kandola and Arjun fires on all cylinders, Jaipur can blow away any opponent on the mat. All three raiders have the capability to win matches single-handedly for the team.
#3 The cover duo of Surjeet Singh and Reza Mirbagheri
Jaipur raised many eyebrows when they released Sunil Kumar from the squad. Right cover Sunil formed a fantastic combination with left cover Reza Mirbagheri in the previous season.
However, to make up for Sunil's absence, the team roped in veteran defender Surjeet Singh. Known for his aggressive tackles, Surjeet can form an even more lethal combination with Reza in the covers.
Left corner Ankush Rathee has been a reliable defender for Jaipur. For the right corner, Jaipur have two rising stars in Arpit Saroha and Lucky Sharma. Considering that Lucky has been with the franchise for quite some time, he should start in the playing seven.
Overall, the defense looks pretty solid. If Surjeet leads the defense well, the Jaipur Pink Panthers can trouble the top raiders.
