THE FIFTH season of Pro Kabaddi League came to close as Patna Pirates lifted the coveted trophy on 28th October. It was a fitting end to an intriguing competition when the Pardeep Narwal-led Patna Pirates overcame healthy deficit to beat debutants Gujarat Fortunegiants in Chennai.
The latest season was a lot different from its antecedents in terms of the number of franchises, matches and the length of the tournament. Long before the 13-week long season got underway, we saw four new teams coming from Haryana, Gujarat, Chennai and Uttar Pradesh. While most older franchises chose to retain one marquee player, we saw a great number of players changing sides during the auction.
The bidding event saw 227 players go under the hammer. Of which, 131 players were drafted as ‘New Young Players’. They were chosen after being evaluated on the multitude of parameters. Season 5, which was inarguably India’s biggest league, provided the marquees their deserved limelight at the same time when it brought new faces to the fore.
We take a look at the previously-lesser known faces who took the mat by storm in the recently concluded season.