Coach Jasveer Singh explains why Pardeep Narwal was benched for 35 minutes against Patna Pirates in Pro Kabaddi 2022
UP Yoddha coach Jasveer Singh explained the team's strategy behind benching Pardeep Narwal for most of the match against Patna Pirates. Singh said that he wanted to strengthen the team's defense, which is why he preferred Aman and Shrikant Jadhav over Pardeep.
Speaking to the media after the match, Singh highlighted how Aman and Jadhav could have contributed more to the Pro Kabaddi team's defense. Thus, he selected them ahead of Pardeep Narwal.
"No, no special reason as such," Singh replied to a query regarding Pardeep's absence in the first 35 minutes of the battle against Patna. "We played with two main raiders today and the third raider Aman was included because he can also contribute in the defense. We had a left-right raider combination in Shrikant and Gill. We started with them. Even Shrikant supports in the defense."
UP Yoddha suffered their fourth consecutive defeat in PKL 2022 earlier tonight as Patna Pirates beat them 37-35. Pardeep came into action in the 36th minute and scored three points for the team. However, his effort went in vain as UP Yoddha's losing streak was further extended.
Click here to view the Pro Kabaddi winners list.
Pardeep Narwal has the strength but he is lacking speed: Jasveer Singh
Pardeep Narwal is the most successful raider in PKL history, but he is yet to fire on all cylinders in PKL 2022. When asked about the reasons behind Narwal's dip in form this year, Jasveer Singh replied:
"Speed. He has the strength but he is lacking speed. See we are living in a bio-bubble. We do not have a big ground. He played well in the initial games, but the numbers came down after that. In the hotel, at the gym, you cannot train like at the ground. So, speed is the reason I feel."
UP Yoddha are currently sixth in the standings with five wins from 16 matches. They have 42 points to their name, but will be keen to add more in the upcoming games.