Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 8 : Former Kabaddi player Rishank Devadiga said that skipper Arjun Deshwal's performance for Tamil Thalaivas in their win over Patna Pirates in their Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) season 12 match will "boost his confidence."
Tamil Thalaivas signed off from their home leg with a dominant 56-37 win against Patna Pirates at the SDAT Multi Purpose Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday.
It was a night to remember for Arjun Deshwal, who registered his career best performance (26 points) while also amassing his 71st Super 10 in the league, climbing to third place on the list of most Super 10s in PKL history.
Speaking exclusively on KBD Live, JioStar expert Devadiga shared his thoughts on Deshwal's performance against Patna, saying that he knew how important the match was for him and the team and his steady scoring "lifted the team's morale" and made the team more cohesive.
"Deshwal knew how important this match against the Patna Pirates was for him and his team. Right from the start, he kept picking up points consistently. Even though the defence made a few errors early on, Arjun's steady scoring lifted the team's morale, and the Thalaivas started playing as a cohesive unit. Arjun attempted 28 raids and earned 26 raid points, the best performance of his career. Delivering such a performance in front of his team's home crowd will surely boost his confidence further. With Arjun leading from the front and the defence also stepping up later in the match, the Thalaivas looked like a complete side," said Devadiga, an ex-PKL player and Asian Games medalist.
Speaking on Patna's underwhelming performance, Devadiga said that the team's defence has to step up big time to win their remaining seven matches.
"In their last match against the UP Yoddhas, which Patna won, it felt like the team was bouncing back into form. But against the Tamil Thalaivas, there was clear disappointment. We can call it a big loss, as the Thalaivas completely dominated the three-time champions. Patna managed to secure only two tackle points throughout the match, and that's an area they really need to improve on. The defensive unit must step up if the Pirates want to stand a chance of winning their remaining seven matches and stay in contention for the eighth spot," he concluded.
Thalaivas are now at seventh spot, with six wins and seven losses, with 12 points, while Patna are at 12th place, with just three wins and eight losses, giving them six points.