If Patna Pirates Maintain This Form, They Could Defeat Any Team in PKL: Rishank Devadiga
Speaking on KBD Live, JioStar expert Rishank Devadiga discussed Patna Pirates Coach Anup Kumar’s impact on the team’s improvement
Day 11 of Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 saw Bengaluru Bulls defeat Haryana Steelers, while Patna Pirates secured a commanding victory over Puneri Paltan in Vizag. Speaking exclusively on KBD Live, JioStar expert Rishank Devadiga analyzed Patna Pirates’ improved defense and Puneri Paltan’s struggles, along with the impact of Naveen Kumar’s injury on Haryana Steelers.
Speaking on KBD Live, JioStar expert Rishank Devadiga discussed Patna Pirates Coach Anup Kumar’s impact on the team’s improvement:
“Anup Kumar understood the problems that the team were facing and focused on strengthening the defense. He knew it was very important to work on the defense, and he has focused completely on that. The team has worked hard on correcting defensive mistakes during practice. Whether it’s Ankit or Deepak, they were given a lot of responsibility and they stood up to it. While the raiders performed well, the defense was the key factor, with every defender contributing points. Navdeep’s performance was good. Sanket Sawant played well too. Deepak and Ankit Jaglan were outstanding.”
On Ayan’s performance:
“Ayan Lohchab is the kind of player who likes to dominate from the start, and he did just that. He consistently went for raids, particularly early on, with 3-4 consecutive raids where he scored points each time. He ended with 21 points from 24 raids. The way he unsettled Pune’s settled defense and scored will boost the morale of any raider. If this team maintains this form, they could be very dangerous and capable of defeating any team in the competition.”
On Puneri Paltan and Aslam Inamdar’s performance:
"When experienced players don’t perform well, the whole team feels the pressure. Players like Aslam Inamdar, Pankaj Mohite, and Aditya Shinde carry heavy responsibilities to score. From the start, Aslam struggled to score and eventually that started applying pressure on the defense instead. He was out of the game six times while defending against Ayan, which is a big blunder that needs to be reduced. As a captain and experienced player, Aslam must lead by example for the team to perform well.”
On Naveen Kumar’s injury against Bengaluru Bulls:
"Naveen has suffered another knee injury and looks a bit disappointed, but we hope he returns soon because Haryana Steelers need him. If Haryana has won matches, it was largely due to Naveen’s performance. So, until he makes a return, other players must step up to fill the gap."