PKL 2019 | Neeraj Kumar: Only shining light in Patna Pirates’ defence this season
Patna Pirates are having a forgettable season this year in PKL so far and apart from Pardeep Narwal, almost all their players have failed to put up a good show. However, if a second player has done well from the camp then he is defender Neeraj Kumar who is their top defender this season.
The seventh edition of the PKL has not been a great one for coach Ram Mehar Singh and his boys. The three-time champions have lost 11 out of their 18 games so far and are currently at the ninth place on the points table. Although their chances of making it to the playoffs look bleak at the moment, skipper Pardeep Narwal has again been a star performer this year.Â
However, he has not received proper support from others this year. Jang Kun Lee has not been able to revive his captain more often than not and in the defence, the team suffered a lot as senior left corner Surender Nada bowed out of the competition due to injury. With Jaideep and Hadi Oshtorak in the team, if someone has starred in the team’s defence this season, he is right cover Neeraj Kumar.Â
He has picked up 50 points from 18 games and is at the eighth place on the top defenders’ list. However, the performance against Puneri Paltan, in which he collected 11 tackle points in a single game and equalled Manjeet Chhillar’s record, made him a known face. Patna won that game quite convincingly by a huge margin of 55-33 against the home team.
In an exclusive interview with SportsCafe, Neeraj said, “I am feeling happy that I am able to contribute for the team. I have always tried to play well and play for the team and am always committed for that.”
Neeraj, who made his PKL debut in season 5 and missed out the entire season last year, was bought by Patna Pirates for 44.75 lakh rupees at the auctions in April earlier this year. He vindicated the management’s decision with some good performance in the defence. He first came to the limelight when he picked up eight tackle points in a single game against UP Yoddha. He scored those points in only nine tackle attempts and was a star in the 41-20 win which helped Patna end their home leg on a high.
 © PKLDespite a poor show by the Pirates, Neeraj is not under a lot of pressure. “There is not a lot of pressure of being the three-time champions, what the coach and managers tell us is that to do well and winning and losing are a part of the game,” expressed the cover defender.
Although the team missed the services of Nada, they still have players like Iranian all-rounder Hadi Oshtorak at the right corner and left corner defender Jaideep with them. They have the experience with them but none of them were able to put up a good show in the tournament. Jaideep has 47 points from 18 games so far in the league while Oshtorak has only 34 from the same number of the games.
“Jaideep and Hadi are the two corners and both of them have a lot of experience and are the senior players in the team. So, I don’t think that not having Surender Nada had a big impact on the team’s performance this season,” Neeraj mentioned.
The 24-year-old Haryana lad is happy to be a part of the Pirates unit and play under the guidance of Ram Mehar Singh. Like all other youngsters who take up a sport with the aim of playing for the nation, Neeraj is hopeful that one day, he will get a chance to don the national colours. But for that, he has to take his game to the next level and he believes that the Patna coach’s motivation is important for him.
“Coach keeps motivating us and is not strict at all. He tells what to do and what not to do while tackling. So, playing under him is a great experience,” Neeraj signed off.