Pro Kabaddi League 2018: Under Edachery Bhaskaran, Tamil Thalaivas look to replicate U Mumba's winning blueprint

Tamil Thalaivas have precious little to show for in their brief existence. Their debut campaign had bursts of youthful exuberance before ending with the disappointment of the wooden spoon. The sight of captain Ajay Thakur sitting helplessly on the bench as his young side unravelled under pressure became far too frequent. At the end of the campaign, the franchise had a big rebuilding process staring in its face and the player auction couldn’t have come at a better time.

Edachery Bhaskaran, who bid goodbye to U Mumba after five successful seasons with the Mumbai outfit, was the ideal man for the job. Credited for assembling the strongest team to have played in Pro Kabaddi so far — U Mumba side in the first three seasons — Bhaskaran was quick to identify areas that needed improvement.

“Last year, the Tamil Thalaivas performed well considering their capacity. Their problem was they didn’t have enough experienced figures in the team. When Ajay Thakur was on the bench, the youngsters couldn’t cope with the pressure and the team collapsed,” Bhaskaran told Firstpost.

Tamil Thalaivas had a handful fine young talents that shone brightly last season, but the lack of experience meant the team lost most of the close encounters. The Chennai outfit lost 11 matches with a margin of less than 7 points in 2017, and the need for seasoned heads was paramount.

Auction purchases and team combination 

The Thalaivas retained three of their most experienced players in captain Thakur and defenders Amit Hooda and C Arun. With an aim to strike a right balance of youth and experience, the Chennai side made some shrewd purchases in the auctions.

All-rounder Manjeet Chhillar, who is the most successful defender in PKL in terms of tackle points scored, was purchased for the base price of Rs 20 lakh, while veteran raider Jasvir Singh was acquired for just Rs 12 lakh.

“Manjeet and Jasvir are very big players. They have given their all for their franchises in the past. Jaipur’s team was built around Jasvir for over four years and Manjeet was the best all-rounder in the league during the early seasons. They have recovered from their injuries and are completely fit. Their presence on the court will be very vital if Ajay is out of the mat,” Bhaskaran said.

Apart from the veteran duo, Sukesh Hegde and Surjeet Singh were roped in to add depth to the raiding department. In combination with young raiders Jayaseelan, Anil Kumar and Anand, Tamil Thalaivas have a very potent attack.

In defence, Hooda and Arun pick themselves. The addition of a fit Manjeet will make the Tamil rearguard very formidable. D Gopu and Sunil will battle it out for the left corner position, and that could be the only weakness in the team.

Captain Thakur, who’s a raider, believes it will be the team’s defence that will be its greatest strength. “The defence is our strength. We have good raiders too, but we have strong players in all position. We have vastly improved in that area,” Thakur told Firstpost.

Local flavour 

Tamil Thalaivas have made a conscious effort to sign players from the southern region of the country. The franchise conducted its own talent hunt from the region and have acquired a few young talents from the hunt. “Being a team from the south, it’s our responsibility to promote local talent. We conducted our own talent hunt and signed players from it. Jayaseelan is one of the raiders we signed and he is extremely talented. I believe he will be one of the stars this season,” the Tamil Thalaivas coach said.

Athul MS, P Subramanian, D Pratap and Darshan J are some of the other players from the south that are expected to make a mark. “Pratap and Darshan were with us last year. They have immense potential. They have improved a lot after last year’s experience and I feel they are ready to shine for us,” captain Thakur said.

Preparation and Training 

Tamil Thalaivas trained in two different camps. The fitness camp lasted for 20 days, while final camp is currently underway for over a month. Thakur is particularly pleased with the fitness levels of his team. “All players are fit. Those who had injuries have recovered very well. We are ready to start the season. I have spoken to Jasvir and Manjeet, they are eager to prove that they still are the big players and I believe in them,” Thakur said.

Can Tamil Thalaivas become next U Mumba? 

Bhaskaran’s U Mumba were a side with an ideal balance of experience and youth led by a highly influential leader. His early endeavours indicate he is attempting to replicate a similar winning blueprint at Tamil Thalaivas. The Chennai outfit has four former captains in their ranks along with youngsters who have great potential to become regulars in the side.

“At U Mumba, we managed to strike a good balance in the team. We had seniors like Anup, Rakesh and Jeeva Kumar and then promising youngsters like Rishank (Devadiga), Mohit (Chhillar). This team is very similar,” Bhaskaran suggested.

The former U Mumba coach drew similarities between the leadership of Anup and Ajay, terming them “team’s captain”. “Anup and Ajay are very similar. They both like to bring the team together. They are like elder brothers to the players and that creates an excellent atmosphere. The recent Asian Games results may not favour Ajay so much, but the result was not his fault. He is a great leader,” Bhaskaran added.

Tamil Thalaivas will look to make a fresh start under Bhaskaran this season, and the team’s strength in depth bodes well for a real challenge for the top honour. After a year in disarray, Tamil Thalaivas are gearing up for a big jump. Watch out!