PKL 2021: J Udaya Kumar to continue as Tamil Thalaivas' head coach in Season 8
J Udaya Kumar will continue to guide Tamil Thalaivas as their head coach in the upcoming eighth edition of the PKL. He replaced Edachery Bhaskaran mid-season in 2019 after the latter decided to step down following a string of unfavorable results in PKL 7.
The Thalaivas made the announcement ahead of the PKL Auction 2021, which is set to commence in Mumbai today and conclude on August 31.
Having guided the likes of Telugu Titans and U.P. Yoddha in the past, Kerala-based J Udaya Kumar recently renewed his contract with the Tamil Thalaivas for another season. The team's management have shown immense faith in him even though they finished at the bottom of the points table with just four wins in 22 matches in PKL 7.
However, J Udaya Kumar backed up players like V Ajith Kumar, M Abishek, and Sagar Rathee last season as the youngsters showed promise before the conclusion of PKL 7.
Who is Tamil Thalaivas' head coach J Udaya Kumar?
J Udaya Kumar is one of India's most illustrious kabaddi coaches. He guided the Indian national team to two World Cups back in 2004 and 2007. The veteran coach is no stranger to winning gold medals, having coached the team to three Asian Games gold medals (2002, 2006, 2014).
As a former player who has represented Kerala, Delhi and Rajasthan in state competitions, J Udaya Kumar has witnessed the sport move from the mud to the mat during his journey as a full-time coach. He has also guided the Telugu Titans and U.P. Yoddha in previous seasons.
Tamil Thalaivas look to start afresh in PKL 2021
After finishing at the bottom of the points table for three consecutive seasons, Tamil Thalaivas will be aiming to revamp their squad and start afresh in the upcoming eighth edition of the PKL. They have the lowest number of retentions (3) by any team ahead of PKL Auction 2021: Sagar Rathee, Himanshu, and M Abishek.
Unsurprisingly, the Thalaivas let go of all their big names from the PKL 7 squad, including Ajay Thakur, Manjeet Chhillar, Rahul Chaudhari, Mohit Chhillar, and Ran Singh. It will be intriguing to see how the Thalaivas shape up their troops ahead of the eighth season of the PKL, slated to take place in December.