Vizag, Sep 9 : Former Pro Kabaddi League player Rishank Devadiga, while analysing Patna Pirates’ improved defense, credited coach Anup Kumar for the team’s turnaround and said the squad has worked hard to correct defensive lapses.
Patna Pirates secured their first points of PKL 12 on Monday night with a commanding 48-37 win over table toppers Puneri Paltan at the Vishwanadh Sports Club.
“Anup Kumar understood the problems the team faced and focused on strengthening the defense. He knew defense was crucial and dedicated time to correcting errors. The team worked hard during practice to improve,” Rishank said on JioHotstar.
“Whether it’s Ankit or Deepak, they were given responsibility and stood up to it. While raiders performed well, defense was the key factor with every defender contributing points. Navdeep played well. Sanket Sawant delivered a solid performance. Deepak and Ankit Jaglan were outstanding,” he added.
It was Ayan Lohchab’s night, with the young raider scoring 21 points, helping his team achieve a first win after three losses.
Reflecting on Ayan’s performance, Rishank said, “Ayan is the kind of player who likes to dominate from the start, and he did just that. He consistently went for raids, particularly early on, with 3-4 consecutive raids scoring each time. He ended with 21 points from 24 raids.
“The way he unsettled Pune’s settled defense and scored will boost any raider’s morale. If this team maintains this form, they could be very dangerous and capable of defeating any team in the competition.”
In other action, Haryana Steelers’ star raider Naveen Kumar picked up a suspected left knee injury against Bengaluru Bulls on Monday. Naveen had missed much of the last edition due to a knee injury, scoring just 97 raid points in 16 matches, his second-lowest tally since debuting in PKL Season 6.
Rishank commented, “Naveen has suffered another knee injury and looks disappointed, but we hope he returns soon because Haryana Steelers need him.
“If Haryana has won matches, it was largely due to Naveen’s performance. Until he returns, other players must step up to fill the gap.”
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