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The Patna Pirates is the most successful franchise in Pro Kabaddi history, known for their hat-trick of titles from PKL 3 to PKL 5, which coincided with the rise of Pardeep Narwal as one of the best raiders in the league.
Despite not winning a title since then, the Pirates have been a consistent team, making the playoffs in PKL 10 by securing a sixth-place finish. They eventually crashed out in the semi-finals, losing 21-37 to the Puneri Paltan.
They've since gone on to release the core of their team from last season including star raider Sachin Tanwar and their highest-scoring defender Krishan Dhull. Left corner Ankit Jaglan and promising young raiders Sudhakar M and Sandeep Kumar are their only notable retentions, and as a result, they have one of the highest purses.
The Pirates have historically operated smartly at the auction, and it'll be interesting to see how they approach it this time. On that note, let's look at three players the Patna Pirates should target at the Pro Kabaddi 2024 Auction.
#3 Shubham Shinde
Shubham Shinde wouldn't be on this list had the Pirates not made the baffling choice of releasing their first-choice right corner Krishan Dhull before the auction. Bought for just ₹17.20 lakh last season, Krishan turned out to be a steal for the Pirates as he finished with the second-highest tackle points last season, only behind Mohammadreza Shadloui.
Patna releasing him despite his low price means that they're unlikely to use their FBM card on him again, and that means they're in the market for a top-quality right corner, and Shubham Shinde ticks that box quite well.
The Bengal Warriors' right corner was their best defender last season, scoring 62 tackle points in 22 matches, and could've easily scored more if he received better support from the rest of the team. He's an aggressive defender, but has the right temperament and is a great timer of tackles, and he could form a stellar combination with Ankit Jaglan in the other corner.
With ₹3.59 crore in their budget, the Pirates are expected to spend big at this auction, and Shubham Shinde is someone they should be targeting.
#2 Bharat Hooda
The Bengaluru Bulls released arguably their biggest talent since Pawan Sehrawat ahead of the PKL 11 Auction. Bharat Hooda is a powerhouse raider who had a breakout PKL 9 season, where he scored a whopping 279 raid points in 23 matches, second only to Arjun Deshwal.
However, a combination of injury and a lack of momentum prevented him from making a mark last season and he could score only 103 raid points, with his poor form coinciding with one of the Bulls' worst seasons in the PKL. Naturally, he was released by the team going into this auction, and lots of teams will be eyeing him.
With their sizeable budget, the Patna Pirates should have Bharat at the top of their wishlist at this auction as he could lead their raiding department alongside Sudhakar M and Sandeep Kumar.
At only 23 years old, Bharat still has his best years ahead of him, and his exemplary physique makes him a point-scoring machine who could match the likes of Maninder Singh and Arjun Deshwal. He'd be a solid replacement for Sachin Tanwar in the Pirates' ranks, posing a different level of raiding threat altogether when he's on song.
#1 Sunil Kumar
The Pirates had a compact unit for the most part last year, leading to them qualifying for the playoffs, but their cover combination was a weak link that opponents exploited time and again. They can solve that problem and fill the leadership vacuum by signing the former Jaipur Pink Panthers' captain, Sunil Kumar.
The right-cover defender led the Panthers to the PKL title in season 9 after leading the Gujarat Giants to back-to-back finals in PKL 5 and 6. The vastly experienced defender is one of the best right covers the league has produced, scoring 336 tackle points in 137 matches.
He had a decent PKL 10, scoring 56 tackle points overall. But with the team perhaps looking to Arjun Deshwal as their new captain, Sunil was released. Sunil Kumar is one player that lots of teams will want to sign, but the 27-year-old will be a perfect fit for the three-time PKL winners.
