"There is enormous pressure of the price tag"- Ajay Thakur comments on Sachin Tanwar's ₹2.15 crore deal, picks strongest team of PKL 11 (Exclusive)
Former Pro Kabaddi League star Ajay Thakur has opined that the most expensive player at the auction has to deal with enormous pressure. In Thakur's view, everyone, from fans to young players, always have their eye on the most expensive player and his performances.
In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, kabaddi expert Ajay Thakur shared his views on the growth of Pro Kabaddi League, the strongest team in PKL 11 so far and the pressure that the most expensive player has to deal with.
When asked about how far the PKL has come in the last 10 years, Ajay Thakur replied:
"Initially, in the Pro Kabaddi League, I was among the Top 5 expensive players. At that time, my auction price was ₹12.4 lakhs, and the most expensive player at that time was Rakesh Kumar, whose price was ₹12.6 lakhs. If you see today, the top player is getting ₹2.605 crore, such a massive difference has come in 7 to 8 years."
Further, Thakur mentioned that there is a ton of pressure on the most expensive player because he not only has to deal with the owners' expectations but also maintain his game and justify the price tag.
"There is enormous pressure of the price tag. If someone is the most expensive player of the Pro Kabaddi League, everyone has their eyes on him, irrespective of which team he plays for. The fans are curious to know why he was the most expensive player. Even all the youngsters will look at him," said Thakur.
"If you are the most expensive player in the Pro Kabaddi League, it means you are the world number one kabaddi player"- Ajay Thakur
Raider Sachin Tanwar was the most expensive player of PKL 11, with the Tamil Thalaivas spending ₹2.15 crore to acquire his services. Ajay Thakur felt that Sachin will be under massive pressure when he plays for the Thalaivas this season.
"Sachin Tanwar is the most expensive player in season 11 of PKL, so what's the reason behind that? Fans and young players will be curious to know which skills he has, which technique he has. The player will be under massive pressure to justify the price tag and maintain his game," Thakur said.
"If you are the most expensive player in the Pro Kabaddi League, it means you are the world number one kabaddi player. So, you have to prove that you truly are the number one player," he continued.
Next, Ajay Thakur was asked which team looked the strongest on paper ahead of the new season. The former PKL star answered:
"I think the strongest team in the Pro Kabaddi League so far is Puneri Paltan."
Lastly, Ajay Thakur sent a message to big players like Pardeep Narwal and Pawan Sehrawat, who have not been at their best and struggled with injury issues in the last two PKL seasons.
"I just hope that the star players do not get injured. Kabaddi is a tough game, and it's a long season. Whenever you go in to raid, the opponent will attack your body. There is a high risk of injury. To stay fit and play safely is a huge challenge in the Pro Kabaddi League," Ajay said.
Ajay Thakur represented many franchises, including Tamil Thalaivas and Puneri Paltan, in his legendary PKL career. The former Indian captain appeared on Star Sports as a special guest for the PKL 2024 auction panel earlier this week.