Profiling Sunil Kumar - the youngster who assumed the responsibility of leading Gujarat Fortune Giants
They say leadership is not given, it is earned. Being a good leader is not just about managing one's team well; it also needs them to be honest and open in their communication with their team and display the ability to acknowledge mistakes and learn from them.
If all the qualities mentioned above are exhibited by someone, then people look up to them as a leader and they are entrusted with that responsibility, something they earned through their actions. All that's been said so far holds true for Sunil Kumar, the defender who has been entrusted with the captaincy of the Gujarat Fortune Giants at the tender age of 21.
The team from Gujarat did very well in their debut campaign in Pro Kabaddi League, dominating the league stages and the playoffs to reach the final, where they suffered defeat at the hands of the Patna Pirates. Despite the loss, they were the best team overall, with a lot of extremely talented and coveted players.
The auction ahead of season six saw them lose two of the best defensive players in the world in the form of Iranian duo Fazel Atrachali and Abozar Mohajermighani. Despite having the option to retain them, the Fortune Giants chose to place their faith in youngsters Sunil Kumar and Sachin Tawar. It made sense to retain the latter since he was their principal raider in season five. However, they were also keen to retain Sunil because they saw him as someone who could galvanise and bring their young team together.
Before season five, Kumar had played only one match in his Pro Kabaddi career, scoring one point. His talent however, was noticed, and he was given the chance to impress alongside the likes of Fazel and Abozar in season five. The then 20-year-old did not disappoint, ending up in the top 10 among defenders for tackle points, scoring a total of 57 in 24 matches, which included two super tackles and three high 5s. He was tied with Atrachali, who plays as the left corner and is considered to be one of the best in the world.
What was even more impressive about his achievement was the fact that he was the third-best defender in the league in his position of right cover, a role on the mat where one does not initiate a lot of tackles and instead plays a supporting role. Another facet of his game that stood out was his versatility in terms of stopping opponents - be it an ankle hold, a thigh hold or a block from the front, Sunil used his agility and strength to great effect and performed his role admirably.
He was retained for a sum of Rs. 49.1 lakhs, an incredible amount for someone who wasn't the main man in defence for his team a year ago. Yet, early results in season six indicate that his role as captain has not affected his performances and have also helped him inspire others in the team to take on more responsibility.
Soon after he was given the captaincy, Sunil declared his happiness at the decision and pledged his support to the coach Manpreet Singh and the team's cause, saying that the team will learn from their mistakes in the final of season five and do better this time around. That reflected his confidence in the coach's strategy and the team's vision to focus on their youthful core to succeed. What the decision also reflected was the management's belief that Sunil possessed the right mix of confidence and recognition to lead the team.
Following the departures of Fazel and Abozar, Sunil recognised their greatness but expressed confidence in his teammates at the same time, saying he had complete faith in the players who will replace the Iranian duo, which showed his ability to be humble and at the same time, exhibit the desire to succeed.
Under his leadership, new signing Prapanjan has continued his good form from last season, scoring 16 raid points in three matches to ably aid Sachin, who has accumulated 22 raid points so far. Tawar has also started getting more involved on the defensive end, scoring five tackle points. On the defensive front, he has led his troops admirably, scoring eight points from three matches, the same as right corner Ruturaj Shivaji Koravi and left cover Parvesh Bhainswal, who have risen to the challenge.
Though the road ahead is tough and full of challenges for Sunil Kumar, the 21-year-old has so far proven himself to be worthy of every accolade showered on him and the success he has achieved has only spurred him on to do better and keep learning. Sunil's journey in Pro Kabaddi League truly proves that leadership is not given, it is earned and that he deserves to be the leader of the Gujarat Fortune Giants as they aim to shock the rest of the teams with their youthful core.
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