We worked really hard on our fitness, says Sunil Kumar

The Jaipur Pink Panthers are currently sitting at the top of the table.

The Jaipur Pink Panthers are enjoying success so far in the ninth edition of the Pro Kabaddi League, PKL 9. Recently, they defeated the Telugu Titans by a huge margin and now look forward to continuing their winning momentum. Skipper Sunil Kumar interacted with Khel Now and discussed points related to preseason camp, captaincy, and a lot more. Here’s a look at what he said:

Strategies during the preseason camp

The Pink Panthers focused on fitness and made strategies with the players. On this, skipper Sunil Kumar said, "Fitness was the major aspect in the preseason camp. We worked really hard on our fitness and the coaches helped us to keep fit throughout the camp. Then, we made strategies according to the situations, like which player could do well at what time."

He further added, "There have been players who are consistently doing well for us. The major point being made to us is that we have to play like a team."

Pressure of being a captain in PKL 9

Sunil is pretty confident in his captaincy. He is not feeling any pressure at all. The JPP captain said, "There is no pressure of a captaincy because I have been the captain of Gujarat in the past. So, I have that experience of captaincy. We have great management this time, coaches are supportive as well. Overall, the atmosphere is quite well."

Missing the Sunil-Parvesh duo

Suni Kumar expressed his disappointment and nervousness over Parvesh not being a part of his team. He said, "I was a bit nervous when I came to know that we wouldn’t play together this time. It was like a habit to play alongside Parvesh from the beginning. We have been playing together since we were just 10. Together, we have played in almost every major tournament. But I understand this is a part of the game. I just want to live up to the expectations of my team, as they all showed faith in me during the auction."

Team combination

Skipper Sunil Kumar is quite happy with the squad and their performance so far in PKL 9. He said, "The team is good, but it is just the beginning of the tournament. We need to win more matches to qualify for the playoffs. Also, I believe fitness should be the one thing that we have to maintain to give our 100 percent."

Kabaddi and Role model

Captain Cool Anup Kumar is everyone’s favourite, and Sunil Kumar, too, is a fan of the legendary player. He shared one incident while answering his name. Sunil said, "My favourite is Anup Kumar because he played an integral part in making my game better. Once we were having a competition in Haryana, and Anup Kumar was the captain of my team. The way he was motivating our players was outstanding. From that day, he became my favourite and I got to know why he is known as captain cool."

Sunil told his story about how he started playing Kabaddi. The Pink Panthers captain said, "I used to play Kabaddi from my childhood days because of so many players coming from my place. My elder brothers also used to play Kabaddi and pushed me to play the same. That’s when I started, and then I started practising with my Guru, Mr. Bhupendra Malik, and then with Jaiveer Sharma. After that, the rest is history."

Ankush's form

Sunil couldn’t just stop praising Ankush as he had been so impressed with the man. He said, "We are both from Haryana, and he has been playing brilliantly in all the tournaments. In the recent inter-services tournament where he played for Navy, he gave his best and his best form continues till date."

Goal for PKL 9

Jaipur Pink Panthers captain Sunil Kumar’s goal is quite clear. He said, "Firstly, we have to give our best to qualify for the playoffs. I have faith in my team that we can win the title for Jaipur in this edition. Our team won the inaugural tournament as well and even though we will try our level best to lift the title."

Recovering after playing every third day

Sunil doesn’t feel fatigued from playing every second or third day. Even though the schedule is jam-packed, he believes it’s not that difficult. On this, Sunil explained, "For a Kabaddi player, two or three days is enough in between the games. On one day, we do our gym session followed by practice and strategy-making sessions on the other day. It’s not that hectic from my point of view."