Anyone's league to win, says Jaipur Pink Panthers skipper Sunil Kumar

Captains of all 12 franchises spoke ahead of the start of the gameweek 5 in PKL 9.

Ahead of the gameweek 5 in Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 9, the captains of each of the 12 franchise teams shared their thoughts on how far the tournament has been for their respective teams and the objectives ahead. Puneri Paltan skipper Fazel Atrachali thanked the fans for turning up in huge numbers at their home turd in Pune. While Tamil Thalaivas captain Sagar emphasised the impact new head coach Ashan Kumar has had on the team's performances.

Here are a few excerpts from the interaction:

Thankful to all the fans for supporting us: Fazel Atrachali

Puneri Paltan skipper Fazel Atrachali thanked the fans for supporting them and coming out in huge numbers in Pune. He said, “A sport is nothing without its fans. Fans push us to do better and I am thankful to them for supporting us.”

Bharat an important and integral part of our team: Mahender Singh

Praising the performance of Bharat, Bengaluru Bulls’ skipper Mahender Singh said that Bharat has done well in the last few matches and helped the team win. "He has worked with a plan and has scored till the last minute of the match to ensure a win for the team." Mahender added that he is a skilled player and his tall height adds to the advantage of the team.

Bharat currently has the second-highest points in PKL 9 and is just 14 points behind Naveen Kumar. He has scored 112 raid points from 90 successful raids and has seven Super 10s to his name.

New coach has changed the dynamic of the team: Sagar

Tamil Thalaivas’ skipper Sagar mentioned that the arrival of coach Ashan Kumar has boosted the team’s morale. "We have been doing better under his guidance and he keeps motivating us for every match. Rather than looking back at the matches that are done, he insists we look forward and better our performance in every match."

Nitin Rawal’s presence on the mat is very important for us: Joginder Narwal

Haryana Steelers’ Joginder Narwal said that it is very important for the team that Nitin Rawal stays on the mat. "It does not matter if he scores big points, but his presence helps boost the confidence of other players and that’s what is important for us."

Any team can win this league: Sunil Kumar

Jaipur Pink Panther’s captain and most expensive Indian defender in PKL 9, Sunil Kumar said that the doors are open for any team to win the tournament. "We have played just 8-9 matches and upcoming matches will be the deciding factors for every team to have a shot to move to the playoffs."

In PKL 9, Bengaluru Bulls are currently at the top of the points table with six wins from 10 matches. The Pune leg of the tournament will continue till November 16. PKL 9 will then move to Hyderabad for the remainder of the tournament. While the schedule for the playoffs is out, the venue has not been announced yet.