Pro Kabaddi 2022: UP Yoddhas coach explains why Pardeep Narwal replaced Nitesh Kumar as captain

UP Yoddhas made a big announcement on social media earlier today by naming Pardeep Narwal their new skipper. Narwal will captain the Uttar Pradesh-based franchise for the remainder of the tournament, starting with the battle against the Haryana Steelers tonight.

Nitesh Kumar was previously the UP Yoddhas skipper. Under his captaincy, the team registered only four victories in nine matches. The team has struggled for consistency, and on top of that, even Nitesh has had a forgettable season.

The right-corner defender has scored only 15 tackle points in the tournament so far. According to a media release by the UP Yoddhas, Nitesh himself went to the coach Jasveer Singh and expressed his desire to step down as the captain.

"Nitesh is one of our finest defenders and nothing changes that. This season has been testing and hence to concentrate on his game and performance Nitesh himself took the decision of giving up on captaincy," said Jasveer Singh.

We only found Pardeep Narwal as the best option: UP Yoddhas coach

Pardeep Narwal has returned to form in the Pro Kabaddi League (Image: PKL)

Explaining the reason why the team management selected Pardeep as the new captain of the squad, UP Yoddhas coach Jasveer Singh continued:

"Once he (Nitesh Kumar) expressed his desire, we knowing his worth respected it and after a long thorough analysis we only found Pardeep as the best option, given his stature within the team and his past experience leading his past franchise, to take up the role as a captain for UP Yoddhas.”

Fans should note that Pardeep Narwal has captained the Patna Pirates in the past. Under his leadership, the team won the fifth edition of the Pro Kabaddi League. It will be interesting to see if he can inspire the Yoddhas to their first title this year.