Pro Kabaddi League Season 5: It is a privilege to play in Sachin Tendulkar's team, says Ajay Thakur

Ajay Thakur will lead the Tamil Thalaivas in the upcoming season of Pro Kabaddi

If one is a keen follower of India’s homegrown sport, kabaddi, he or she would definitely notice that most of the players hail from the heartlands of Haryana, Maharashtra and Southern belt. However, there is this one lanky lad who comes from the hilly areas of Himachal and stands tall amongst this crowd having established a firm name for himself in the kabaddi circles.

Ajay Thakur, is a major force to reckon with when it comes to raiding for his swiftness and agility often leaves the defenders on the rival shore bamboozled. The Tamil Thalaiva recruit is a man for big occasions as was evident from his exceptional performance when India won the World Cup against Iran last October.

Sportskeeda got in touch with Ajay for an exclusive chat ahead of the fifth edition of Pro Kabaddi and here are some excerpts from the same:

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First Bengaluru Bulls, to Puneri Paltan and now Tamil Thalaivas, how difficult is it to adjust to new team?

It is not that easy a task, there are obviously the initial hurdles that surface with the main one being about managing to get the right combination of players on the mat as your playing seven on match days. All of us are maybe on the top of our game individually but since it is a team sport, the real challenge lies in understanding each other, in terms of nature, style of play, strategies which in turn leads to proper coordination and aids in the results. 

How are the training and preparations going on for the team?

We have a camp in Chennai and preparations are in full swing over there. What works as a major benefit to our preparations is that we have Bhaskaran Sir as our coach who helped us win the World Cup last year. He’s a former player and has a plethora of experience which really helps when it comes to training. 

Sachin on board as a team owner for Tamil Nadu, how does it feel?

Well, he’s known as the God of Cricket, and he’s been a sportsman of a truly different level, where none of us can even imagine to reach. So to play under the aegis of such a legend, it sort of feels like a privilege but more than that it is a source of motivation for us to do even better than we are normally capable of for he will be there to watch us from the stands. 

How do you plan to lead the team in the capacity of a captain? 

At the moment I think all the teams are evenly placed and hence we cannot really judge their strengths or weaknesses. At the same time, I am of the opinion that pre-match strategies do not really work for you may think of those and suddenly something else transpires in the match and all the planning may go haywire. So I think, the key element is to have all your players perform to their highest potential and then act according to the situation in the match. 

Ajay Thakur in action with his former team Bengaluru Bulls

How do you think the auctions benefit the league and the players?

The basic advantage that the auctions ensure is that all the players get the financial returns which is obviously the most important thing. But on a deeper level, the auctions enrich the league in terms of adding more variety with players shuffling across different teams. This ensures that no single team has an edge over the other, moreover the players get more experience by adjusting to new team environments and rubbing shoulders alongside foreign players. 

Which players are you keen to work alongside in your own team?

Amit Hooda is one guy I am excited to share the mat with largely due to his exceptional defensive skills which were on show last time around for the Pink Panthers, the other players would be in the likes of Vinit Sharma and both the Anil’s who have come from Army and are talented young guns. 

What do you opine about the progress of kabaddi, in terms of a longer league and the four new teams? 

On a personal note, we have a new identity altogether which is solely because of the Pro Kabaddi League and its wide area broadcast that has transformed our lives to another level! As for the longer league and the four new teams, that is one great aspect of development because it has provided increased opportunities for more players to come into the fold, and from the audience’s perspective, it is more entertainment.

The only concern with the longer league that it will be the survival of the fittest for players as they will look to avoid any sort of major injuries. 

A star yourself, whom do you look up to as your idol?

Well, for me it has always been Pankaj Shirsat, the former player from Maharashtra who is posted as a DSP now in the state. If we talk about the current player, Anup Kumar is one player I look to learn from always. For me, he is rightly called the Captain Cool.

One thing you’ll miss about Puneri Paltan?

It has to be Deepak Hooda! I share a great bond with him both on and off the field and being in the same team, it gave me a sense of having some family around, so I shall surely miss that part!