Pro Kabaddi League: Ace defender Sagar to lead Thalaivas this season

CHENNAI: Tamil Thalaivas announced on Tuesday that Sagar Rathee will retain the captaincy for the upcoming season, which starts in October. This will be Sagar’s third season as captain of the franchise, and he will be looking to replicate the strong performance the team demonstrated in Season 9, when they reached the playoffs under his leadership for the first time.

“Leading Tamil Thalaivas has been a great honour for the past two seasons, and I am excited to continue in this role. We have the most balanced team for this season, and we are collectively aiming higher than ever. The Tamil Thalaivas will work hard in every raid and defense and will not give up at any cost,” said Sagar Rathee, Captain of Tamil Thalaivas.

“As we head into Season 11, our focus is crystal clear. We’ve worked extensively to strengthen every aspect of our game, learning from the past and making the necessary adjustments. This time, we’re approaching the season with a no-compromise mindset—every match is crucial, and we’re going to play with aggression and determination. The team is more focused and more prepared than ever before, and we’re ready to give it our all on the mat,” said D Cherlathan, Strategy Coach.

We aim to replicate season 9 and go all the way: Narender

Star raider from the previous season for Tamil Thalaivas, Narender Kandola, who accumulated 137 successful raids, is optimistic about the new season and aims to replicate and exceed the performance of Season 9 by winning the trophy. “It has been 10 days since the team got together, and we are currently working on correcting the mistakes we made last season and strengthening the team for the upcoming season,” Narender told DT Next.

This season will feature a two-coach setup for the Thalaivas, with Udaya Kumar as the chief coach and Dharmaraj Cheralathan as the strategy coach. Narender mentioned that there have been no issues with the new coaching system and added that having a coach who has played in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) has been particularly helpful because they understand the league from a player’s perspective. “We have two experienced coaches—one who has played in recent times and one who is a senior coach and previously coached Thalaivas in Season 9. We are trying to replicate that successful coaching strategy to achieve similar success once again,” he said.

The auction for the Thalaivas was relatively quiet, but they invested where it was needed most. Strategy coach Dharmaraj Cheralathan told DT Next earlier this year that the team needed an additional raider, leading them to acquire one of the best raiders in PKL, Sachin Tanwar, who scored 184 points last season. When discussing who would take up the role of the second raider between Narender and Sachin, Narender said, “We haven’t decided yet. We’re still in the initial stages of practice, but we will make the decision in the best interest of the team and not an individual.”

Captain for the upcoming season, Sagar Rathee, and Narender both entered the league as New Young Players (NYP). Narender added that the Thalaivas have some promising NYP players this year who could make significant contributions to the club.

“I didn’t expect the signing, but I know Anuj Gawade from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) institute. We used to practice together, and now as teammates, it feels really good. We have a strong team this year,” he added.