Pawan: Captain motivated to make successful start at Tamil Thalaivas

CHENNAI: Ahead of his proposed Pro Kabaddi League Season 9 take-off on October 8, Tamil Thalaivas skipper and lead raider Pawan Sehrawat, nicknamed ‘Hi-Flyer’, sounded a warning to opposition defenders. “Watch out for me!” replied Pawan when DT Next asked if he has new tricks up his sleeve for the upcoming PKL edition. Having been purchased for a whopping Rs 2.26 crore at the auction in August, Pawan is “motivated” to maintain the lofty standards he has set for himself in the last few years.

EXCERPTS FROM AN INTERVIEW

On the positive atmosphere he experienced when he first met his Tamil Thalaivas teammates at the pre-season camp

The moment I joined, I saw a different level of energy in the players. The players were like: “Pawan is with us now.” Among them was [right corner defender] Sagar Rathee. I felt so good that one of the best defenders from the previous season was delighted to join forces with me. Whenever I am sent off the mat, Sagar, I believe, will revive me quickly. The more time I spend on the mat, the better for the team.

On adapting to life at the Thalaivas franchise

This is a new experience. I had a season at Gujarat Giants (it was called Gujarat Fortunegiants back then), where I played under a new coach in Manpreet Singh in 2018-19 (Pawan played five seasons under Randhir Singh Sehrawat at Bengaluru Bulls). Now, I am playing under a new head coach (J Udaya Kumar)… there are new training methods… I am under new management. The training sessions have been good. I am learning a lot both on and off the field. I must say that I received a warm welcome from the franchise.

On whether he is under pressure because of the huge price tag

No, I am not. In fact, getting picked for such an amount gives me more energy and positivity to perform. I am motivated and excited to deliver my best.

On combining with in-form raider Ajinkya Pawar

Coach Udaya Kumar sir will decide the raiding combination. He will make the strategic calls. He will pick whichever pair is best for the team. This question must be posed to Udaya Kumar sir and not to me (laughs). In our team, all raiders are equal and good. I am enjoying raiding with all of them. There might be situations where I am not at all in the scene; two other raiders might be performing well. So, it is down to Udaya Kumar sir’s plans and tactics.

On whether he has added any new weapons to his arsenal

You will get to see the new skills, which I have developed, in the matches. I have been working on both the offensive and defensive aspects of my game behind the scenes. I have been working with the head coach. Watch out for me!

On how optimistic he is about taking Thalaivas to the Pro Kabaddi League Season 9 play-offs (the team has never progressed to the knockouts)

Before I joined Bulls for the sixth edition, the team had failed to make it to the play-offs for three successive seasons. Every team will have ups and downs. I do not care about what Thalaivas did in the past. We have to look at the future and I will ensure Thalaivas goes far in the upcoming season. We have a balanced and young team; we also have a few experienced players. The entire squad, including myself, is confident of qualifying for the play-offs.

On the return of fans

Fans coming back is a positive sign. Having played the previous season in a bio-bubble, it will feel special to play in front of fans. All teams and players will be happy to see them back. When there are fans, there is a lot of energy around. That energy gets passed to the players.