With great responsibility comes even greater challenges. Pro Kabaddi Season 5 hasn’t begun yet but the league has already thrown in some intriguing narratives worth dissecting. For most players, the upcoming season will be all about focusing on their individual strengths which by default would help their respective teams.
But for some, the weight of responsibility on their shoulders could prove to be too heavy to deal with. Beyond a point, a player’s mental capacity matters more than his skill. On that note, let’s take a look at 5 players for whom Season 5 will be career defining.
#1 K Selvamani
By his own admission, never did Selvamani imagine that there would be an intense bidding war for his services at the auction. The lanky raider was picked up by Jaipur Pink Panthers for a whopping Rs. 73 lakhs, their second-biggest purchase after Manjeet Chhillar.
While players may never accept openly, the pressure that comes with a massive price tag, the proof is in the pudding. “I thought around INR 40 lakhs, to be honest. But 70..wow. I wasn’t following the auction,” said Selvamani after the auction.
Selvamani had an average Season 4 where he was used sparingly, scoring 45 raid points. He may not have set the league alight, but his skills were present for all to see. The fans will no doubt expect him to shine like never before this time around.
#2 Joginder Narwal
Over the past four seasons, U Mumba once boasted of some of the best defenders in the league. Vishal Mane, Jeeva Kumar, Surender Nada and Mohit Chhillar were all once part of a defensively impenetrable U Mumba seven. That, however, isn’t the case anymore.
In their absence, Joginder Narwal will be expected to lead Mumbai’s defence in season 5 – a task that he will find challenging in every sense of the word. To put it bluntly, the men in orange and black don’t have the most ideal set of defenders which will mean Narwal will have to pull his socks up and grind it to ensure things don’t get ugly.
Joginder was the 12th best defender in season 4. Look deeper and you’ll realise, among season 4’s ten best defenders, not a single one will ply his trade for U Mumba this season.
#3 Surjeet Singh
A couple of days back, Bengal Warriors announced that captain for season 5 would be their defender, Surjeet Singh. With no clear cut leader in their team, the Warriors were left with no choice but to pick someone has never captained in the PKL before.
Surjeet is an extremely talented right cover but come season 5, he’ll have to cover a lot more than just his area on the mat. The 25-year-old put in impressive performances last time, scoring 37 tackle points, ending up as the 9th best defender in the league.
Singh has been on the up for the last couple of years but will captaincy responsibilities stunt his growth or help him flourish even more? It remains to be seen if he can effectively juggle his roles as a defender and a leader on the mat.
#4 Ajay Thakur
In picking up Ajay Thakur, Tamil Thalaivas probably did the best bit of business at the auction. Arguably the most in-form raider in this present moment, Thakur will be looking to carry forward his stellar form from the recent Kabaddi World Cup. But that will be easier said than done.
At the World Cup, he had the calm Anup Kumar to guide him in tense situations. This time around, he’ll have to guide himself. This Tamil Nadu squad is littered with young talent and Thakur will have to ensure they don’t get over enthusiastic on the mat. For if they do, it wouldn’t take much for them to crumble. With no captaincy experience in the PKL, this will be Ajay’s most challenging season since the league’s inception. Week in week out, his mind and body will be tested to the limits.
#5 Anup Kumar
The most important player in the league can also look forward to the most important season of his PKL career. Here is a man who picked up a massive, never seen before, 155 raid points in season 1. But since that explosive first year, Kumar has tempered his game as per the requirements of the team.
Individually speaking, Kumar is still up there with the very best, consistently hitting the 70-point mark. This time around, he will be leading probably the weakest U Mumba side he has ever been part of. And thus, it will be intriguing to see how he manages his responsibilities and get the best out of this side. The challenges are plenty and the road to success will be filled with unexpected bumps. But If there’s one man who knows how to calm the storm, it’s Anup Kumar.
