Kabaddi
PKL 2021: Sandeep Narwal turns back the clock with his raids against Patna Pirates
Right corner defender Sandeep Narwal brought back the memories of his raiding exploits during the first few seasons of PKL with his show against Patna Pirates.
Sandeep Narwal (Source: dabangdelhikc/Instagram)
Dabang Delhi edged past the powerhouse Patna Pirates in match 62 of PKL 2021. A scoreline of 32-29 in favour of Delhi ensured their reclaim on the table-toppers crown. The star all-rounder Sandeep Narwal's raiding heroics starred in a nail-biting thriller.
In the absence of 'Naveen Express', Sandeep stepped out as a raider in this clash while his right corner position was filled by the youngster Krishan Dhull. Patna Pirates defence was prepared for Vijay and Ashu Malik but Sandeep came as an out of syllabus question. His multi-point raids provided gigantic support to his team in crucial moments.
Sandeep remained invincible in the match as a raider and was out of the mat only once. His charismatic presence helped the capital-based franchise to stay stagnant throughout the game.
Sandeep Narwal's performance against Patna Pirates:
10 - Total raids
4 - Successful tackles
7 - Raid points
2 - Tackles
1 - Tackle point
70% - Raid strike-rate
50% - Tackle strike-rate
Sandeep debuted at the grand stage of PKL as a raiding all-rounder with a free role in defence. He began his Pro Kabaddi League journey with Patna Pirates where he used to play primarily as a raider. It was the third edition of the Pro Kabaddi League where the dicey Narwal transformed himself into a defender and acquired the right corner position.
The Arjuna Awardee is regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the league. The PKL universe considers him as one of the three great all-rounders of PKL alongside Deepak Niwas Hooda and his teammate Manjeet Chhillar. Sandeep is a highly skilled corner defender and a charismatic raider who scores multi-point raids with ease.
Sandeep was Patna's initial poster boy even before the likes of Pardeep Narwal and Rohit Kumar. He scored the second most Super Raids (7) in the inaugural edition, just behind the legendary Anup Kumar (8). His all-round attributes played a pivotal role in Patna's first-ever PKL winning triumph where he also donned vice-captain responsibilities of the roster. Statistically, Sandeep stands on the fourth position of PKL's all-time tackle points charts and also tops the Super Tackles tally.
Sandeep Narwal's all-time PKL career statistics:
135 - Matches
576 - Total points
251 - Raid points
1 - Super 10
10 - Super Raids
26% - Raid success rate
325 - Tackle points
17 - High 5s
28 - Super Tackles
49% - Tackle success rate
