The first season of Pro Kabaddi League lasted for around 40 days, and yet when it came to the final when Jaipur Pink Panthers overcame U Mumba, a lot of experts were of the opinion that the Mumbai side had a depleted force due to players that they had lost out on due to injury concerns. The fact that Kabaddi is an energy sapping and exhausting sport, which requires a player’s cent percent fitness, is not unknown.
The fifth instalment of the league, however, is going to take place at a scale which is probably 50% of a notch above the previous seasons. With four new teams, the tournament will commence on the 28th of July and span for a good 90 days before the final encounter is staged on the 28th of October.
It will not only be a mental and physical test for the players, moreover, it shall be the ‘survival of the fittest.’ The young guns will have it considerably easier but a concern for most teams will be their veteran recruits.
The experienced campaigners may be replete with skills and talent, but will they be able to sustain themselves physically over the course of the league? Sportskeeda looks at five veteran players who will probably find the long season tough to deal with.
#5 Dharmaraj Cheralathan
“Anna” as he is fondly referred to in the kabaddi circles, 43-year old Dharmaraj Cheralathan has been one player who has not shied from any challenge in the sport. Having played more than three teams in the Pro Kabaddi League while also shining for the Indian team when national duty beckons, Cheralathan has never succumbed to any major injuries in his career.
A lot of it can be attributed to his personal emphasis on fitness, and he is well aware of the challenge that lies ahead in the bigger and longer fifth edition. This was evident when he was quoted as saying to Sportstar that, “This is going to be the real test of endurance and stamina — and not just skills — as it also involves a lot of travelling too.”
#4 Nilesh Shinde
The 37-year old right-corner defender will turn up for the Dabang Delhi side this time around after four seasons with the Bengal Warriors. The senior player from Maharashtra has had his fair share of injury concerns in the league with the most major one happening in the middle of the third season.
In an effort to tackle raider Rahul Chaudhari, he injured a soft tissue muscle in the back. Whilst it might sound like a niggle, it was so severe that Shinde had to be carried away on a stretcher and was advised complete bed rest for quite a few days. He flinches when speaking about that issue even today.
However, does not fail to acknowledge that the standards of treatment have improved post PKL, as he mentioned in an earlier interview, “It is tough recovering from an injury in Kabaddi. But thanks to Pro Kabaddi and the physios that it has brought with itself, recovery time has substantially decreased than before.”
#3 Jeeva Kumar
He was responsible for all the dirty work that goes into making the perfect defender during his stint at U Mumba, be it with his strong pushes, utilising his brute strength for the body blocks or the touch holds on the approaching raiders. But a lot goes into exuding that kind of energy on the mat, especially when it is as competitive as the PKL and one has to show up on the mat day in and day out. Thus it remains to be seen how Jeeva deals with this extended season in terms of his fitness levels.
Quoting him from an earlier interview, he perfectly described the difference between playing a regular match of Kabaddi and playing in the league when he said that, “Generally when you play tournaments, out of the many matches that we play, only 3-4 end up being really difficult. But in the Pro Kabaddi League, we need to be alert from the first match itself. Every team plays at a very high level.
“Sometimes we end up playing and winning a physically exhausting match which feels extremely good. But at the same time, we have no time to slack off. The next game is equally important and we have to be in peak physical condition to keep pace with the competitive nature of the game.”
#2 Wazir Singh
The former Dabang Delhi and Puneri Paltan recruit was touted as a big match player in the initial seasons of PKL and he did prove his worth on many instances as well. But soon enough due to recurring injury concerns, Wazir lost his sheen on the mat and could never really play up to his potential.
This time around, the veteran will show up for the new franchise Haryana Steelers, and hopefully the long off from competitive kabaddi would have helped him get back to his ideal fitness levels, such that he is able to sustain himself and give his hundred percent throughout the course of the league.
#1 Navneet Gautam
The Arjuna awardee guided the Jaipur Pink Panthers to glory in Season 1 and that was the pinnacle of his performance as far as Pro Kabaddi League was concerned. Since then it has been all but a downslide and Navneet has more often than not been relegated to the bench.
Particularly in the last edition, the defender from Rajasthan sat out for their entire season owing to injury concerns. However, we hope that he is able to turn the tide around in Season 5 and once again showcase his prowess on the mat alongside the likes of Manjeet Chhillar and Jasvir Singh.
