Dabang Delhi might have come last in the third season of Pro Kabaddi League but there was no dearth of confidence when it came to answering questions about the fourth campaign. It was quite heartening to see a team, which suffered from controversy and agony in Pro Kabaddi 3, looking to prove a point under the guidance of their new coach Sagar Bandekar and the leadership of raider Kashiling Adake, who, according to CEO Saumya Khaitan, is their team’s Virat Kohli.
The CEO of Dabang Delhi, along with the new coach and a few players, was present at their home arena in the national capital, Thyagraj Sports Complex, for a fan and media interaction event. Players present at the interaction included Kashiling Adake, D Suresh Kumar, Deepak Narwal, K Selvamani and Bhupinder Singh. Speaking about the upcoming season, Bandekar said, “This is a really strong squad with several youngsters and just the right amount of experienced players.
“There is a lot of hunger and determination in these players and they want to prove themselves on the Pro Kabaddi League platform. I have been working really hard with them in training and I have full confidence that we can turn things around this time, Dabang hain, Dabang kar ke dikhayenge (We are valiant and we will show that),” he added further. Bandekar is one of the oldest coaches in the Indian kabaddi circuit and his experience will certainly help the Delhi team.
Dabang Delhi had a torrid time during Pro Kabaddi Season 3, laden with controversy, defeat and disappointment. Saumya Khaitan acknowledged the fact that mistakes were made but said that they have been rectified this time. “We admit that there were mistakes made last season but we are looking at the new season with a lot of optimism and have worked towards improving thing. Sagar sir’s technical knowhow is brilliant and I am sure he will bring out the best in these boys.”
Kashiling Adake, their star raider, has been elevated to the captain’s position and he will be looking to lead from the front. The added pressure of captaincy can always hamper a player’s individual performances as the past has shown in different sports. However, Khaitan believes that captaincy is going to make Kashiling better and he could be as talismanic for Dabang Delhi as Virat Kohli is for the Indian team.
“I do not think captaincy will affect Kashiling’s game. Virat Kohli became the captain of the Indian team and look at how amazingly he is performing. I think Kashiling is going to do the same for Dabang Delhi. He is an exceptional talent and we hope he plays to his potential this time,” the CEO said.
Dabang Delhi has gone through a major squad overhaul and a lot of new players have been brought in to take the team forward. From the squad composition, it can be inferred that there has been a dedicated effort on the part of the Dabang Delhi think tank to bring in players with winning mentality. They have roped in the likes of D Suresh Kumar and Deepak Narwal, both of whom played for defenders Patna Pirates last season.
Talking about the same, Khaitan said, “We wanted to bring in players who would suit our tactics and contribute to squad balance. It is always great to have players like Suresh and Deepak in your team. We feel that the balance of the squad is going to be one of our key strengths.”
Dabang Delhi open their Pro Kabaddi season 4 campaign against Bengal Warriors on June 27th in Pune and they will be looking to exorcise the demons of last season by posting a win in their opening game.
