UP Yoddha were considered one of the top contenders to win PKL8 at the start of the campaign, but so far in the tournament, the team has been nothing more than a shadow of their former self.
The Yoddha strengthened their side with the addition of the “Dubki King” Pardeep Narwal in their ranks, but the best raider in the history of the league hasn’t been able to meet expectations and is yet to deliver. Other than Surinder Gill who has emerged as a silver lining for the Yoddha, none of their players have been able to leave an impact so far into the season.
Jasveer Singh, the UP Yoddha coach, spoke to the media heading into their seventh game against the Dabang Delhi KC, who has been spectacular so far in the season, remaining the only side unbeaten in their six games.
“As a coach, if I look at the overall performance by the team, I am not happy with the results. With the kind of preparation we had before the start of the tournament, we should have been able to do a lot better.
We had a long two-month training camp, with some players training with us for a year now. But since some boys are new, we are making a lot of errors in the defense.”
UP Yoddha skipper Nitesh Kumar, has been out of form so far in the season, just displaying glimpses of his former self so far in the six appearances for the side picking up twenty-four points alongside his teammate Sumit.
The number does not do any justice to the expectations the fans have from the players, and Singh believes that the duo can do a lot better.
“It would be wrong to write him off already!”: Singh comments on out of form Pardeep Narwal
Narwal was a huge acquisition for the UP Yoddha, who spent a staggering ₹1.65 crores to sign the player this season. Fans were sure that Pardeep would be a great addition to the side, but the star raider has failed to live up to the hype.
However, Singh still believes in the player and expects a player of his stature to make a strong comeback in the remaining fixtures of the league.
“Pardeep has played okay so far. He had some niggles, and hasn’t shown the speed that he is known for. It would be wrong to write him off already, and in my opinion, I’m sure he will make a strong comeback in our remaining games.
All the teams have been targeting him, and their plans have been working so far. We need to tighten the defense so Pardeep can spend more time on the mat!”
Fans hope that Jasveer Singh is right about the future as UP Yoddha are currently ninth on the points table with just fourteen points in their six games, with just a single win to their name. The players will have to step up their respective games and teamwork if they want to qualify for the playoffs this season.
