Kabaddi

‘We are not over dependent on Pawan Sherawat’- Tamil Thalaivas coach makes massive statement after tie against Gujarat Giants

The Gujrat Giants and the Tamil Thalaivas played out of their skins, and in the end, the result was a thrilling draw between the two sides in the Pro Kabaddi League when they squared off against each other when they played the first match of the season at the Kanteerava Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru.

Rakesh was the top scorer for Gujrat as he got thirteen points to his kitty. The Thalaivas and the Giants started off on a solid note as Rakesh and Nariender picked up the first points for their sides. For both teams, a strong defence was their forte as they thrived on this skill set and did not take too many chances while raiding.

The Giants had the lead at the halfway stage as they rode on Rakesh and Ranjit’s points and took the lead at the midway stage of the first half. the Giants led 18-16 in what was turning out to be a hard-fought game. The Thalaivas kicked off the second half with the intention of getting a lead with the stellar Narender continuing to perform well before M Abhishek’s tackle gave them their first all-out, which gave them the lead. The Thalaivas were starting to up the ante after the early lull but found the Giants tough to break through. Nonetheless, Narender was not perturbed and kept chipping away, who had a 3-point lead with just over 9 minutes to go.

Abishek was keeping strong in defence while Narender went on to get his super10 on debut and the Thalaivas had their noses in front. With just five minutes to go, the Giants needed to overturn a 4-point lead. Rakesh suddenly upped the ante in the end, picking up crucial raid points and dragging the Giants back into the game as both sides were tied 31-31 with a minute remaining as both teams played for the tie in the end.

In the post-match press conference, the coach of the  Thalaivas was asked whether the side was over-dependent on Pavan Sherawat. He said they are not that dependent on the star raider and that the youngsters can easily step up if need be. He said that the other players played well even in his absence and that whenever he is back on the side. He will be a vital part of the Tamil Thaliavas setup.