PKL 9: Gujarat Giants Team is Strong, Won’t be Affected by My Absence, Says Captain Chandran Ranjith

Among the hallmarks of the sport of Kabaddi is the inherent need for teamwork, right from the start up until the final whistle. The Adani Sportsline-owned Gujarat Giants epitomises this thought process, with the captain Chandran Ranjith reiterating it during a press conference in the second phase of Pro Kabaddi League Season 9.

The skipper, who sustained an unfortunate injury in the game against U Mumba, is well on course to making his way back to the mat. Nonetheless, Ranjith wasn’t very worried about his team and their ability to fill up his space on the mat.

“I believe that we (Gujarat Giants) have a lot of senior and very capable players like Sandeep Kandola, Prashant Rai, Rinku Narwal and Baldev Singh. They can not only guide the team but also mentor the youngsters in tough situations," Ranjith explained.

Gujarat Giants are very much in the hunt for a spot in the playoffs come the final stages of the season, and have put in some incredible performances up until now. Coached by the veteran ace Ram Mehar Singh, the Giants’ captain noted that his absence would not affect the team’s performance in terms of picking up the crucial points on the mat.

“My absence is filled by these senior and capable players, and even as a raider, in case Rakesh can’t get going on one particular day, we have players like Parteek Dhaiya, Pardeep Kumar, Dong Geon Lee, and Mahendra Ganesh Rajput, who are able to make up the raid points," Ranjith noted.

“There can be ups and downs for everyone and I am confident that the Giants will do well going ahead."

In fact, coach Ram Mehar Singh has, throughout the season so far, maintained that it is important for his side’s defensive and attacking units to work in sync, so that they can keep registering the points.

“I have been saying this since the first match whichever team’s raiding and the defensive unit performs well will win the match. Whenever our raiders and defenders have done well together, we have been a dangerous team," the coach had said.

Gujarat Giants will take on the Bengal Warriors in their next outing on 5 November