PKL 10: Tamil Thalaivas face Dabang Delhi challenge; Gujarat Giants up against Bengaluru Bulls

AHMEDABAD: The Tamil Thalaivas are all set to open their campaign in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 with a clash against former champions Dabang Delhi KC in their first game at the EKA Arena by TransStadia here on Sunday.

Thalaivas are confident of making a good start and doing well in subsequent matches in the season.

When asked about their clash against the Delhi side, the Thalaivas’ captain Sagar said, “I am very excited about this season and I think it's going to be a good one for us. We've prepared very well. Dabang Delhi K.C. has got a great team. They have really good raiders. We'll have to tackle them to win the match.”

Sagar, who is leading the side for the first time this season, said he is very excited.

“I have a lot of responsibilities as the captain of the side. I need to play well and ensure that my team is putting up their best as well. We reached the semifinals last season and we'll look to better that result this year. Giving our best on the mat will be our main focus and let's see what happens.”

Meanwhile, the Dabang Delhi KC captain Naveen said, “All teams are quite balanced. There are young and experienced players on every side. We'll not take any team lightly. We've devised strategies for all kinds of situations. I think we'll have a good contest against Tamil Thalaivas and we are all looking forward to our first game.”

The star raider also spoke about the importance of Season 10 for kabaddi in India. “The tenth season of the Pro Kabaddi League is a big achievement for the players and Mashal Sports. A game, which was mostly played in rural centres, is being played in big cities today. We are quite excited for this season.”

Later, the home side Gujarat Giants will be up against Bengaluru Bulls in the second match of the day. The Gujarat Giants will be in action on back-to-back days -– taking on Telugu Titans on Saturday before playing against Bengaluru on Sunday.

The Bengaluru Bulls’ captain Saurabh Nandal spoke about the mood in his team’s camp ahead of their first match of the season. “The team is feeling quite good ahead of the season. We've trained hard during the training sessions, and we are geared up for our first match. The Gujarat Giants have a terrific team. They have strong players such as Fazel Atrachali, Rakesh, and Parteek Dahiya among others. It'll be a good game.”

Nandal also expressed that the team is determined to reach the Final this season. “We've reached the playoffs in the last three seasons, but we were not able to reach the Final in those editions. We are working hard to reach the summit clash this season. We have the belief that we can do better this season.”