Pardeep Narwal is Pro Kabaddi’s superstar. The prolific raider is the all-time leading points-scorer of the league, the only player to cross 1,000 raid points in his career, and averages nearly 11 raid points in a match.
Based on Pardeep Narwal’s average, a Super 10 is guaranteed in every match he plays. In fact, Pardeep Narwal is the only player to cross 50 Super 10s and 100 Super Raids.
But despite these mind-boggling numbers, Patna Pirates decided to let go of his star raider ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2021 auction.
It marks the first time Pardeep Narwal will be bid for during a Pro Kabaddi auction, as Patna Pirates had retained the burly Haryana raider in the previous seasons.
It is believed that Pardeep Narwal’s salary is worth Rs 60 lakhs, far from the seven-member crore club of PKL, making him one of the cost-effective players in the league. So, why was Pardeep let go?
Why was Pardeep Narwal released by Patna Pirates?
There are the possible theories:
Pardeep Narwal and Patna Pirates have had a fallout. While there are no indications that the team and player had a disagreement, at least publicly, things may have been different behind the scenes.
Pardeep Narwal wants to boost his net worth. If anyone is worth making over a crore in Pro Kabaddi, it’s Pardeep Narwal. Having himself in the Pro Kabaddi player auction pool will allow rival teams to bid for him and boost his net worth in the league. Patna Pirates can always buy him back with the Final Bid Match card. Pardeep Narwal’s last-known PKL salary was Rs 60 lakhs.
Patna Pirates wants to change squad strategy. For long, coach Ram Mehar Singh and Patna Pirates have relied on Pardeep Narwal leading the attack of the team and bailing them out often. Patna Pirates may want to change that with an eye on the future and field a well-balanced squad rather than lean heavily on one raider.
Potential injury or fitness issue. Perhaps Patna Pirates knows a little more about Pardeep Narwal than the rest. A long-term injury or fitness issue could be a cause of concern for the three-time PKL champions and the team wants to offload its potential liabilities for Season 8.
Featured photo: Pro Kabaddi
