Prapanjan nostalgic about his days with Tamil Thalaivas

He was snapped up by the Ahmedabadbased franchise for Rs 38 lakh. “I didn’t get enough opportunities to prove myself before the previous edition of PKL. Coach Kasinathan Baskaran was fully aware of my potential and gave me the time to shine at the biggest level. I take it as a step forward (on him being picked by GFG), my selection serving as a reward for my performances in PKL 5,” said Prapanjan, a brand ambassador for the Geo Marathon.

Prapanjan was released by the Sachin Tendulkar co owned outfit ahead of the PKL Season 6 auction in Mumbai, much to the displeasure of the team’s faithful. Rejecting an option to use the “Final Bid Match”, which has come into existence only this year, only added fuel to the fire among the fanatics. Despite not getting the nod from the management led by new coach Edachery Bhaskaran, the towering raider still referred to the Thalaivas as “his” side in the local language during our interaction. “Thalaivas has promoted me a lot and it is also a team from my home state. I am a little bit sad that I won’t be playing for it this season. But I am happy that Gujarat has kept faith in me. I will completely strive to defeat my opponents, even if it is my team Tamil Thalaivas,” asserted the 25-year-old.

Commenting on what could have been the main reasons inletting him out, the Customs employee remarked, “According to the PKL rules, franchises are allowed to retain only two Category A players. Ajay Thakur and Amit Hooda are seniors and I feel the franchise thought there was a chance to get me back during the auction.

Unfortunately, it did not pan out that way.” Prapanjan and South Korean Dong Geon Lee had featured together for the Thaliavas in the previous campaign where it finished at the bottom of its zone. But this time around, the duo will be looking to unleash its raiding prowess on the mat for a different employer, Fortune giants.

“Lee congratulated me for getting picked by GFG and spoke about joining the team ahead of pre-season,” added the Salembased kabaddi player.

Speaking on his relationship with Baskaran, he said, “Kasi Sir is more than just a coach, he is a well-wisher. I have always been a fan of his team talks and there grew my admiration for him. I always consult him before taking important decisions.”