PKL 2019 | We pick our squad after assessing opponents, reveals Srinivas Reddy
Jaipur Pink Panthers' coach Srinivas Reddy has stated that they approach each game as a new one and assess the opponents’ strengths and weaknesses to form the seven each time. Sitting next to Reddy, captain Anup Kumar stated that the win against Haryana Steelers was a complete team performance.
Haryana defence struggled again and Monu Goyat failed miserably in the game against Jaipur Pink Panthers as the Abhishek Bachchan-owned franchise secured a thrilling 36-33 win. Nitin Rawal and Anup Kumar combined for crucial 17 points - most of them in the second half - and snatched the game from Haryana. On being asked how Panthers negated Steelers’ plans, Reddy said that they assess the opponents’ strengths and weaknesses to form the seven each time and it was a planned move.
“I take it on a match-by-match basis. We assess the opponent, their strengths, their weaknesses and everything in between before picking our raiders and defenders. It’s a long season and we have to plan for every game differently. So, it depends on the opponent. Earlier I did say that Nitin is one of the best all-rounders I have ever seen among the younger generations. I have observed him closely for three months and I can tell you that the sky is the limit for him. He needs to stay calm and focused and he’ll be a big name in Indian kabaddi,” Reddy said in the post-match press conference.
After cruising for most parts of their first encounter of the season against U Mumba, Jaipur Pink Panthers lost the initiative in the last few minutes as the Mumbai-based outfit scored 12 straight points to take the game away from Jaipur Pink Panthers. They, however, worked on that aspect and that reaped dividends in the match against Haryana.
“We discussed the errors that we made in the last five minutes of the previous game and we trained to ensure that we don’t repeat them. And this match was a result of the work we put in,” Reddy added, on being asked if the team worked on those mistakes.
After six minutes of the second half, Anup Kumar had a super tackle opportunity with Monu Goyat and Naveen Kumar on the mat. While both tried blocking Anup, the Jaipur skipper somehow escaped
“Getting both players out on the same raid was crucial because if you leave one guy on the mat, you have to surrender a bonus point to them on their raid to lure them deep into your side. That’s how we ended up giving up three points to Naveen and that four-point raid towards the end made the game close. Otherwise, I felt the team played quite well throughout the match. I didn’t feel like there was any turning point. Nitin Rawal played well. Deepak Hooda got us points as well. Overall, it was a good team performance,” Anup Kumar said.
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