Vizag, Sep 9 Former Pro Kabaddi League player Rishank Devadiga while analysing Patna Pirates’ improved defense discussed coach Anup Kumar’s impact on the team’s improvement and said the team has worked hard on correcting their defense.
Patna Pirates finally secured their first points of the PKL 12 on Monday night with a more-than-impressive 48-37 victory over table toppers Puneri Paltan at the Vishwanadh Sports Club.
“Anup Kumar understood the problems that the team were facing and focused on strengthening the defense. He knew it was very important to work on the defense, and he has focused completely on that. The team has worked hard on correcting defensive mistakes during practice.
"Whether it’s Ankit or Deepak, they were given a lot of responsibility and they stood up to it. While the raiders performed well, the defense was the key factor, with every defender contributing points. Navdeep’s performance was good. Sanket Sawant played well too. Deepak and Ankit Jaglan were outstanding," Rishank said on JioHotstar.
It was Ayan Lohchab’s night, with the young raider scoring 21 points to secure his team’s first win after three losses.
Reflecting on Ayan’s performance, Rishank said, “Ayan Lohchab is the kind of player who likes to dominate from the start, and he did just that. He consistently went for raids, particularly early on, with 3-4 consecutive raids where he scored points each time. He ended with 21 points from 24 raids.
"The way he unsettled Pune’s settled defense and scored will boost the morale of any raider. If this team maintains this form, they could be very dangerous and capable of defeating any team in the competition."
In another action on Monday, defending champion Haryana Steelers' star raider Naveen Kumar picked up a suspected left knee injury in the match against Bengaluru Bulls on Monday.
Naveen had missed the majority of the last edition due to a knee injury. The 25-year-old could only accumulate 97 raid points in 16 matches last season, his second-lowest in a single edition since his debut in PKL Season 6.
Speaking on Naveen's injury, Rishank said, "Naveen has suffered another knee injury and looks a bit disappointed, but we hope he returns soon because Haryana Steelers need him.
"If Haryana has won matches, it was largely due to Naveen’s performance. So, until he makes a return, other players must step up to fill the gap."
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