PKL 2024: Tamil Thalaivas keen to shed inconsistency tag post coaching and leadership overhaul

In the decade-long history of the franchise-based Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), the perennial struggles of Tamil Thalaivas have been well documented. The team, which debuted in season five, began by finishing last in its group and continued to hold the wooden spoon the following two years.

It finally moved up one spot, finishing 11th out of 12 teams in the eighth season. Despite boasting big names and high expectations, the team often faltered.

Under coach Aashan Kumar, the Thalaivas reached their first-ever semifinal in the ninth season, overcoming a shaky start. While young raiders Narender Kandola and Ajinkya Pawar shone in the absence of marquee player Pawan Sehrawat, Sagar Rathee led a solid defensive unit, also captaining the side.

However, this spark was short-lived, as inconsistency once again became the team’s Achilles’ heel. The team couldn’t match the high of PKL 9 and slumped yet again.

Though several things went against the Thalaivas in PKL 10, they ended the season with a historic win against the Bengal Warriors, beating the Maninder Singh side 74-37 en route to several PKL records in their last game.

The team scored the most points in a single PKL match, with a combined 111 points — the highest in the league’s history — and recorded the most all-outs (seven) in a match.

Aside from the Telugu Titans, Thalaivas have been one of the most inconsistent teams in PKL. Yet, the team’s potential remains untapped.

Much has changed since PKL 9. Pawan moved to Titans, coach Aashan is not at the helm anymore, and the team has made an unprecedented move by appointing two coaches for this season: J. Udaya Kumar as the chief coach and Dharmaraj Cheralathan as the strategy coach — the first time a PKL team has adopted a two-coach system.

READ | PKL: Tamil Thalaivas announces Sagar as captain

On Tuesday, the management also named Sagar as team captain, with new signing Sachin and dependable defender Sahil Gulia serving as his deputies.

“Making Sagar the captain again was a no-brainer. He’s been with the team for the last five years, is highly dependable, and brings valuable experience. That’s why our management decided to appoint him as captain once more,” said head coach Udaya.

Tamil Thalaivas tweaked its leadership structure from last season, naming Sahil and Sachin as vice-captains. Ajinkya handled the alongside Sahil during the PKL 10.

“It’s all about their contributions. Sahil has been a consistent performer, regularly contributing to the team, and we’re expecting even more from him this season. The same goes for Sachin, who’s been phenomenal. We’re hoping he’ll deliver at least 200 (raid) points this season,” explained Udaya.

“These are our senior players, and they deserve both responsibility and recognition. They’ve led teams in the past, which is why the management, ownership, and coaching staff — including Cheralathan and me — agreed to appoint a raider and a defender as vice captains,” he added.

Sagar’s campaigns in the past two seasons were cut short due to injuries, which impacted the team’s balance and defensive stability.

“Injury is part and parcel of this game, and unfortunately, I’ve had my fair share over the last two years. But this time, things feel different. I’m confident in my current fitness, and I feel very motivated,” Sagar told Sportstar.

“Last year, it wasn’t a major injury — I had chicken pox and had to miss a few games towards the end of the season. But now I’m fully fit, and there are no concerns. I’ve been working closely with the coaches on my fitness and skills, and my only goal is to play the full season without any injury setbacks,” he added.

Filling the Void

The Thalaivas had been relying on two left raiders — Ajinkya and Narender — for the past couple of seasons. However, their strategy hit a roadblock as opposing teams began exploiting this imbalance.

Sagar reflected on this challenge: “We knew what we needed. Although last season didn’t go as planned, we’ve always had a solid team. I sat down with the management to discuss strategies for the auction. We already had two left raiders in Ajinkya and Narender, so our focus was on bringing in a right raider to complete the team. Our defence is top-notch, with quality players like Abhishek, Mohit, and Ashish covering the corners and covers.”

READ | Pro Kabaddi: Winds of change force out the old guard in auction for season 11

During the PKL 2024 auction, Thalaivas secured star raider Sachin for a whopping ₹2.15 crore, making him the second-most expensive Indian player in PKL history.

Sachin, a do-or-die specialist, had previously led the Patna Pirates to the semifinals in PKL 10, where it was defeated by the eventual champion Puneri Paltan.

“We all agreed Sachin was the best fit for our team. Last season, we struggled to close out games in high-pressure moments, and Sachin excels in those situations. That’s why we went all-out to sign him, and I’m thrilled he’s going to be with us this season,” Sagar said.

The inclusion of the ever-dependable Sachin is a significant boost for Tamil Thalaivas. A veteran of 128 games, Sachin has accumulated 952 raid points and holds the fourth-best raid points-per-game average (7.44) among players who’ve played over 100 matches.

The former Patna Pirates captain acknowledged the life-changing impact of his auction success. “Money plays a huge role in everyone’s life today, and who wouldn’t want it? I always had the ambition to see myself at the top of the auction,” he admitted.

“I’m really happy to be here. The coaches and management have been fantastic. Cheralathan and Udaya Sir are working on my game, focussing on correcting my mistakes from the past. Plus, I’ve got a cool captain next to me,” Sachin said.

READ | PKL Season 10: Sagar Rathee settling into Tamil Thalaivas leadership role with fitness as top priority

Raider Narender has extended his contract with the Thalaivas for two more years.

The youngster experienced a dip in form after a tremendous show in PKL 9. “Every season is different. We’ve reviewed all the footage from last season and are working on correcting the mistakes during training camp. In terms of performance, I’ll focus on not repeating the errors I made in the past,” he said.

Having been with the team from the beginning, Narender’s dedication is evident. “Tamil Thalaivas has never won a championship, so I’d rather stay with this setup and help the team lift its first title,” he added.

Positive Change

Meanwhile, right cover defender M. Abhishek, who is typically reserved, opened up about the challenges he faced with communication in the past. “I felt the language barrier was an issue. The previous coach didn’t speak Tamil, and I wasn’t very fluent in Hindi, so there was a communication gap. But with Udaya sir and Cheralathan sir, who are both multilingual, that problem is solved. I can understand them much better now, and it’s definitely a positive change,” Abhishek shared.

The Thalaivas have also announced the inclusion of three New Young Players (NYP) from Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra — Ramkumar Mayandi, Dhiraj Ravindra Bailmare, and Anuj Kaluram Gawade. Captain Sagar has been entrusted with overseeing their development.

“I haven’t missed a single camp during the off-season. The main reason was to get to know the NYP acquisitions better. If we can groom even one quality player from this group, we’re set for the next 3-4 years. Anuj, playing at left cover, has been particularly impressive both in camp and during trials,” said Sagar.