In conversation with Sandeep Dhull, PKL Season 3's latest sensation
Dabang Delhi have not had the best campaign in the third season of the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League as they sit bottom of the table having lost 11 out of the 13 games they have played. They have not quite clicked as a side and rather oddly, their defenders and raiders have not performed to their potential in the same game together. Their focus will now be on Season 4 as they will look to fix the errors they made and make the most of the positives.
Speaking of positives, the silver lining in this season for the team has surely been the emergence of rising star Sandeep Dhull. The youngster, who recently turned 20 this month, has been the mainstay of the Dabang Delhi defense and has made the left corner position is own.
Despite his diminutive stature, he has brought down raiders twice his size on his own and leads the league with a total of five super tackles.
We at Sportskeeda caught up with the youngster from Kaithal in Haryana and spoke to him about his experience playing with the Hawk and his assessment of his side’s performances.
Q: How would you assess your team’s performances this season? What do you feel has been the reason for the low number of points the Eagles have collected?
A: I personally feel that we have been a bit unlucky this season. Our team is complete in all respects and we are not particularly weak in any aspect. It is the little mistakes that have cost us this season and we have not been able to gather the required momentum that is needed to win games at a stretch. We have the potential to reach the playoffs but due to errors at crucial junctures, we have lost out on winning matches.
Q: Since when have you been playing the sport? Have you ever tried your hand at any other sport?
A: I have been playing kabaddi since I was 10 years old. It is played extensively in my village and I have always enjoyed it. We have a great kabaddi culture and I am extremely proud of it. As far as playing other sports are concerned, I have never played any other one except kabaddi. It has always been an important part of my life and I plan on playing it for as long as I can.
Q: You have had the opportunity of playing with one of the best defenders in the league in the form of Ravinder Pahal. How has the experience been?
A: Playing with Binda has surely been a memorable experience and I have learnt a lot from him – from strategy to tackling techniques. We have various senior players in our side such as Kashi and Surjeet, and it has been a pleasure getting to play with such stalwarts of the game.