Exclusive- Prashanth Rai: Patna's squad has good chemistry

The Patna Pirates' skipper also talked about the preparations of the three-time champions ahead of the season’s start.

Three-time Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) winners Patna Pirates successfully reached the playoffs in the latest edition of the competition. The outfit performed incredibly well and finished atop the points table after the conclusion of the league stage. One of the key contributors to their success was captain Prashanth Kumar Rai.

He is a key figure in the team as the captain and also brings in a lot of points due to his raiding capabilities. The player has been a good leader and is close to helping the team create history. Patna Pirates will play their semi-final on 23 February against the UP Yoddha. Before playing the all-important game, Prashanth Rai had an exclusive conversation with Khel Now.

The three-time PKL winners won 16 out of their 22 league matches to secure a direct semi-final berth. They justified their status as being the most successful team in the history of the competition. According to Prashanth Rai, the Pirates prepared well ahead of the start of the season. This is the reason why they shocked many people with their performances.

He stated, “Patna Pirates have won the PKL title three times and that is how we prepared before the season began. Coach Ram Mehar Singh trained us extremely well. The combination is fabulous and the squad has great chemistry. This is the reason why the team has played in such a good manner.”

Pardeep Narwal’s absence

Patna Pirates did not have high-profile raider Pardeep Narwal in the squad this season. However, looking at the performances of the team, it does not look like the outfit have missed his presence. Expressing his opinion in regard to Narwal, Prashanth Rai said, “It was tough without him initially, but as the team practiced and performed, his influence began to fade. Every player is now doing well. This is why Pardeep Narwal’s name has been taken less in the Patna Pirates.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAyWVvwp-_c&t=758s

Prashanth Rai scored 70 points in 21 matches during the league stage of PKL Season 8. His performance can be termed as below-par, but it does not affect him. For him, the team is winning matches, which is the more important thing. “My own performance has not been that great. But, the team is performing well, which is keeping me happy too. When the team records a win, everything feels great. I put a lot of faith in the back-kick, it always gets me points,” said the raider.

Coach Ram Mehar Singh deserves credit

Prashanth Rai gave the credit for Patna Pirates’ good display to coach Ram Mehar Singh. He believes that the guidance provided by the coach is the reason why the team were able to finish atop the points table.

He remarked, “A coach performs a very important role in the team. The captain stays on the mat for only 40 minutes, but the coach has to prepare the team and constantly think about preparing the players. Ram Mehar Singh has prepared us well. It is because of him that the team is performing well and he is my favourite coach.”

Kabaddi is a contact sport and injuries are a big probability because of it. Prashanth Rai told us how much an injury affects a raider or defender. “A player’s injury makes a big impact. While it is a long tournament, if a player gets injured, it takes a lot of time for recovery. Even when the players are not fully fit, they must take the floor, which causes an impact on their performance and speed. Becoming injured has a mental effect too and a player can be injured at any point in time,” he concluded.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Kabaddi on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and join our community on Telegram.