Exclusive: 'My brother Suraj Desai inspires me the most,' says Telugu Titans' ace raider Siddharth Desai
The Pro Kabaddi League has been a platform for Kabaddi players to showcase their skills and grab the limelight. The PKL has emerged as the second-most viewed franchise-based league in India after the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Siddharth Sirish Desai emerged into a raiding sensation in his debut back in Season 6 with U Mumba, picking up the 'Emerging Player of the Tournament' award. He bagged 218 raid points in his debut season and took U Mumba to the playoffs on his own.
Desai went on to become the highest-paid player for the ongoing season and was sold to the Telugu Titans for 1.45 crores. Despite his side's elimination from the play-offs, Siddharth has managed 189 raid points in 20 matches thus far with eight Super-10s to his name.
Sportskeeda sat down with the Bahubali Siddharth Desai as he talked about his journey with the Titans this season and his insights into the game.
Q. What was missing in the Telugu Titans' journey this season?
Our home leg in Hyderabad was the first one this season. It takes time to settle both the offence and defence for such a long tournament. Had we won a couple of matches at the start, we would have found the right balance of our team. As the business-end is nearing soon, we are only expecting to win our remaining fixtures and hope for the best next time.
Q. You played under Fazel Atrachali last year. This time, you played under Abozar Mighani. What differences did you find in their captaincy?
No prior difference in both. Fazel used to advice me on whom to target before heading into a raid. He used to tell me when to increase the pace of the game and when to slow it down accordingly. Likewise, Abozar also depicts the strategies during the practice sessions. Both as captains allowed me to raid freely without any pressure.
Q. Did you feel the necessity of a support raider despite you scoring many raid points single-handedly?
Indeed. We had a slow start to the tournament. When my brother Suraj Desai started playing along with me, we started well with a couple of wins. Amit Kumar also helped me in the offence and we formed a good partnership in raiding. When the team changed, the combinations also changed due to which I didn't find anybody who could revive me back once I got out.
Every raider needs someone as a support raider for the team to win matches. It has been the reason why we couldn't win the fixtures we should have won.
Q. You get recognized as one of the fittest players in the league. How do you prepare yourself mentally and physically to gain such robustness?
I work out at the gym daily. A proper diet along with strength and conditioning is needed once you're playing such a contact sport. It improves your game and helps you innovate on your skill. When you're physically fit, your mind stays relaxed without any pressure.
Q. Do you draw inspiration from other Kabaddi players as well?
My brother Suraj Desai inspires me the most in this game. He has made me learn so many things since childhood and still teaches me a lot. He has played a vital role in making me what I am today.