Top 3 teams in PKL 10 Auction: Who can buy Nitin Rawal
Within the domain of Indian Kabaddi, Nitin Rawal's name is consistently taken into the memory of spectators and peers. Hailing from the region of Haryana, Nitin Rawal possess unyielding resolve and has emerged as a versatile player in the Kabaddi circuit.
Thanks to his terrific ability on the mat, Indian national team selectors explore him as a viable option who can win matches. He was a key member of the Indian team that won the Asian Kabaddi Championship 2023 back in July at Busan, South Korea.
Nitin Rawal belongs to the Gurjar community and was born in a village named Baapauli at Panipat District. It will be fair to say that Kabaddi runs in the veins of Nitin as Haryana is considered as the Hub of Kabaddi players.
Despite being a designated Defender, Rawal can operate well as an All-rounder. He is well known for his running hand touches which is a combination of his impeccable speed and stamina.
The 27-year-old is also renowned for his defensive duties too. He is a type of player who can transition well from Raiding into defense and according to the modern demands of Kabaddi, coaches and team managements want a player who is willing to do anything for the team.
Last season he was a part of his hometown outfit Haryana Steelers as they finished 7th in the Pro Kabaddi League. Season 9 was by far his best season defensively with 35 tackle points and also played the most number of matches last year - 22.
In terms of Raiding, he wasn't upto the mark as he collected just 9 raid points and this could be among the reasons why Haryana Steelers decided against retaining him. He is a part of major flush out of players by the Steelers but they do have an option of using one of their 3 FBM cards.
In case they don't, here are 3 teams that can go after him during PKL 10 auction.
1. Jaipur Pink Panthers: Nitin Rawal's journey in Pro Kabaddi League started in season 5 with the Jaipur Pink Panthers. In his debut season, the Haryana born player highly impressed with his performance to become a major revelation. In 21 matches, he earned a total of 85 points, combining between terrific raids and solid tackles.
Nitin scored 65 raid points and 20 tackles points, which is not bad for a debutant. In his following 3 seasons, he accumulated as much as 107 total points with 68 raid points at his disposal in 38 outings for Jaipur Pink Panthers.
Therefore, Nitin Rawal's homecoming could be on the cards but Jaipur don't have many spaces to fill but they do not have any All-rounder. Nitin Rawal just like his above mentioned stats, shows plenty of promise and Jaipur might have a swoop at him if he is availaibe at his Base price due to their Purse of 87.7 Lakhs.
2. Dabang Delhi K.C: Season 8 winners had an underwhelming last season. In what was their season as reigning champions, the Capital outfit finished 6th despite a dream start to their campaign.
After winning their first 5 matches, Delhi went on to lose 6 in a row in the most dramatic fashion. Then head coach, Krishan Kumar Hooda had very less options to choose from his Injury prone squad. But now under the new management of Rambir Singh Khokhar and Ajay Thakur, Delhi will be keen to rebuild their squad with 4 raiders and 1 Defender retained.
In case of any unforseen injury for Delhi in Season 10, Nitin Rawal with his proficient defensive maneuvers, precise tackles and in terms of raiding he is a mix of speed and calculated strategy that leaves defenders in Mess.
With a purse of around INR 3 Crores, Delhi's motive will be to get him at his base price but might also pay extra, thanks to their substantial purse. Delhi's retained players are: Naveen Kumar (R), Manjeet (R), Ashish Narwal (R), Suraj Panwar (R) and Vijay Kumar (D).
3. Bengal Warriors: Dabang Delhi's first appearance in the Final was spoiled by Bengal
Warriors and they might again prove to be a hurdle at the Auction table on September. After finishing 11th last season, the Warriors are expected undergo through a transition phase, having just 4 players, including 3 Raiders and a Defender.
With 14 more spots to fill, Bengal will have to act smartly and get back up players in their squad as well. And they could go after Nitin Rawal, someone at the age of 27 and containing innate talent coupled with unwavering dedication.
They are expected to launch heavy bids on players to form up a core side which is bolstered by a massive purse of more than INR 4 Crores, the biggest in this auction. With 500+ options in the player pool, teams will have their plan chalked out for the Auctions, set to take place on 8th and 9th September.
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