Naveen Kumar credits Joginder Narwal for his success in PKL

Reigning MVP revealed how Dabang Delhi's captain has been a key to his success in the tournament.

Star Dabang Delhi raider Naveen Kumar became the third player to score 300 points in a season last year and won the league’s Most Valuable Player award as well. He credited Joginder Narwal for his success and said that the captain's advice helped him to garner more points last season.

Dabang Delhi registered big wins in the last campaign and managed to get to the final of the tournament. Naveen Kumar was a key factor in his team's success and picked up many points in crucial matches.

“Joginder bhai would often tell me right from the start of the season that I need not worry about how many points I was scoring or how poorly I was playing if I was tackled a little more than usual,” Naveen Kumar revealed during Pro Kabaddi’s Instagram live chat.

“His policy was to forget what’s done and just focus on the next raid while I played my natural attacking game with a free mind. That really helped a lot.”

Often seen exchanging words before Naveen Kumar would go in to raid, Joginder Narwal's insights spurred the raider on. Coming from a seasoned defender, it would range from explaining the situation or revealing chinks in the opposition defence’s armour that the raider could exploit.

For Naveen Kumar, though, the backing of his leader was a positive sign in itself. He revealed, "Joginder has always been a calming presence on the mat. He has always given me a lot of confidence and is backing me to do well, no matter the situation. He has been a great source of motivation for me."

The star raider also revealed that the camaraderie and bond the two shared stretched beyond just the game. As many good leaders do, Joginder Narwal ensured that his key player always felt at home in the team and brought in a sense of family and brotherhood among the players.

Naveen kumar said, "Even though there is an age difference between Joginder Narwal and myself, he treats me just like a younger brother,” Naveen Kumar pointed out. He is a veteran in the game of kabaddi while I am just starting. But he never made me feel intimidated by his presence."

With a strong support system on the mat in the form of his skipper, the raider delivered record 21 straight Super 10s in the last campaign.