New Delhi, Aug 1 As the Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 approaches, Haryana Steelers head coach Manpreet Singh has expressed confidence in the fitness and readiness of star raider Naveen Kumar, saying he is fully fit and prepared to deliver his best performance, adding that team’s management and medical staff will take all necessary measures to ensure Naveen remains injury-free throughout season.
Naveen signed with the Steelers for Rs 1.20 crore when he entered the player auction for the very first time since making his debut. Since their PKL debut in 2017, the Steelers have been one of the most consistent teams in recent years and have reached the Playoffs in four of the seven seasons that they have competed in.
"From a fitness and injury point of view, there’s no issue with Naveen right now. A player like Naveen strengthens the raiding lineup of any team he is a part of. The team will make every possible effort to keep him fully fit," Manpreet told IANS while speaking exclusively at the PKL pre-season Media Day with JioStar expert Rishank Devadiga.
"Naveen had an injury in PKL 10 and he also underwent surgery. Last season, he wasn’t able to perform at the level we’ve seen him perform before—where he used to score Super 10 after Super 10. After an injury and surgery, it’s very tough for a raider to return and regain peak form.
"But as the league progressed towards the final stages last season, Naveen's performances kept improving significantly. After that, he also performed really well in the Nationals and has recently shown strong performances in the Services matches as well," he added.
Having retained their title-winning core ahead of the PKL 12 auction, the Steelers have added 10 players at the auction to bolster their squad. With a total amount of Rs 4.983 crore, they have built a strong squad to challenge for the title.
Highlighting the balance his team has achieved in both raiding and defence, Manpreet said, "In the auctions, our goal was to build a balanced squad. Naveen joins us with valuable experience in raiding. Even before, our raiding was strong, but his presence makes it even better. In defence, we have Rahul and Jaideep, who have been consistent over the past two seasons, now entering their third.
"We’ve added two promising young defenders to that mix. The overall balance of our team is very good. Young players are performing with energy and talent. Last season, we won 18 out of 22 matches, and we aim to maintain that momentum."
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