Rahul Chaudhari revels in Ajay’s presence

HYDERABAD: Ajay Thakur-led Tamil Thalaivas haven’t had the best of fortunes, to say the least, since their inception in the Pro Kabaddi League, with two bottom-placed finishes in both seasons they have played in. 

To seek a turnaround, they sought the services of star raider Rahul Chaudhari for season 7, whose inclusion is set to take a lot of the pressure off captain Thakur in the raiding department. The Thalaivas, though, have seemed to hit the jackpot with Rahul’s purchase at the auction, as the Ajay Thakur-Rahul Chaudhari combination has more to it. 

Known as the ‘Jai-Veeru’ of Kabaddi, Ajay and Rahul share a great bond as they have been playing together for years now. The duo played together at the Nationals and with Air India in the past, and Rahul credits Ajay immensely in helping polish his game. “He is always there to guide me and motivate me,” said the 26-year old Rahul, in an interview with Sakal Times.

When asked who among the two was more like Jai and which one was Veeru, Rahul broke into a laugh, adding, “Jai toh humaare Ajay hi hai. Main Veeru, zyaada shararati (Ajay is Jai. I’m Veeru, the naughtier of the two).” 

While Jai and Veeru from the classic Amitabh Bachchan-Dharmendra starrer ‘Sholay’ were contrasting personalities just like Ajay and Rahul, the one similarity that holds the two raiders together is their mutual respect towards each other. 

FREEDOM TO PLAY NATURAL GAME
Speaking about Rahul, the Indian captain Ajay said, “ He’s a fantastic player. I’m really glad to have him alongside me in the team. It’s great for the team as he will certainly play with a lot more freedom as I’m with him, with other experienced players as well.” 

That freedom to play his game was something Rahul stressed upon too, and hailed the presence of a solid back-line, led by the experienced Manjeet Chhillar and Ran Singh, that allows him to play his natural game. “In this team, I’m blessed with a defense that is like a rock back there. Along with Ajay, the likes of Manjeet Chhillar, Ran Singh, Mohit Chhillar, and the others allow me to play my game. The support is great, and that benefits me greatly,” added the powerhouse raider. 

The same thought resonated through the words of skipper Ajay who is a lot more confident about this season with the reinforcements they brought at the auction, along with the retention of Manjeet. “Rahul, myself and the other raiders are aware of the strength in defense and we know that we won’t be off the mat for a long time as the defenders will retrieve us quickly. It’s a great luxury to have,” added Ajay.

‘DESI’ DIET
Rahul and Ajay were both quick to point out the challenges Kabaddi brings and the physicality of the sport, making it vital to have maximum focus on fitness. “Kabaddi has many elements that go into it. I would say it’s a mixture of many other sports and that you always have to be on your toes,” Rahul said. “Our diet is very strong, we need our ‘desi’ food to feel good. Most of the players are having difficulties as they’re just not used to staying in five-star hotels,” he added with a laugh.

That diet has certainly been helping, as Rahul is statistically the most successful player in the league. With 876 points before Thalaivas began their Season 7 campaign, he leads the charts for most number of points for a player in PKL history, and is also second in the total raid points tally. The young man seemed surprised to know he owns those stats, and said,” When I started off, I never thought I would be at this stage and have these records. Just focused on playing my game, which is an attacking brand of Kabaddi, and the rest followed. I’ve always played as a main raider and that’s important.”

The 33-year old Ajay, a veteran of 103 PKL games, has played a big role in his rise, and the Indian captain was as confident as ever about the future of the sport in India.

I have always been the biggest fan of Ajay. We have played together for years, and many of my better performances have been with him around, as he is always there to guide me and motivate me.”
— Rahul Chaudhari, Tamil Thalaivas raider

Our seniors passed on the baton to us, and we will pass it on to Rahul and the rest of the younger generation soon. The future is bright, and I just urge them to stay grounded and work hard.”
—Ajay Thakur , Newspaper