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Gujarat Giants coach Ram Mehar Singh has explained the reasons behind releasing former captain Fazel Atrachali. The Giants neither retained their skipper Fazel ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2024 Auction nor used their FBM card to re-sign him at the auction.
In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda after the Pro Kabaddi 2024 Auction, Ram Mehar Singh said that Fazel Atrachali was no longer the same defender he once was. In Singh's view, the younger players could perform better than the Sultan of the PKL now.
"I believe that Fazel Atrachali is a very good player. He is a star player, but every player has his prime. Now, Fazel's reflexes are no longer the same. The youngsters are doing their best, perhaps better than Fazel. There is no doubt that no defender comes close to Fazel's experience, but there is a time of every player," Singh said.
"In the previous season, somewhere I felt that his speed, his reflexes, his reaction abilities have reduced. Those things bothered me. Hence, I have decided to give a chance to new players," he added.
Fazel, who is the most successful defender in Pro Kabaddi League history, scored 62 tackle points in 23 matches last season.
The Iranian defender finished 13th in the defenders' leaderboard. Gujarat Giants qualified for the playoffs under his captaincy as well, but this season, he will don the Bengal Warriorz jersey.
"Neeraj Kumar is one of the best defenders" - Ram Mehar Singh showers praise on Gujarat Giants' new signing
Gujarat Giants signed quite a few players at the Pro Kabaddi 2024 auction, with one of them being former Patna Pirates skipper Neeraj Kumar. Neeraj spent a lot of time with Ram Mehar Singh, when he was Patna's head coach.
Now, the duo of Ram Mehar and Neeraj has reunited at Gujarat Giants. Shedding some light on why the Giants bid ₹35 lakh to sign Neeraj, Ram Mehar said:
"Neeraj Kumar is one of the best defenders. I would have signed him for any amount. I am lucky he was a part of the C category. Before that, Deepak's name came. He was with us last season, but Patna Pirates signed him."
Further, Ram Mehar Singh highlighted that Neeraj Kumar is one of the few defenders who can play any position in defence. In his view, defenders like Neeraj are rare in the Pro Kabaddi League.
"Neeraj knows how to handle the team and the defense. He can play at any of the four positions. Such type of defenders are rare," Singh concluded.
The Giants have a new-look defense for the 11th edition of the Pro Kabaddi League.
Apart from Neeraj Kumar, the Gujarat-based franchise also have Sombir, Vahid Rezaeimehr, Harsh Lad, Mohit, Manuj and Nitesh in defence. It will be interesting to see how the new defensive lineup performs in PKL 11.
Despite signing big names, Gujarat have never won the Pro Kabaddi League. This year, they have a young squad, so the youngsters could help end the team's title drought.
