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Iranian defender Fazel Atrachali has made a startling revelation about the work ethic of some senior players in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL). In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, the Bengal Warriorz captain claimed that he has played alongside veterans who would fake injuries to skip training sessions. Fazel contrasted this with the discipline of fellow PKL star Maninder Singh, who continues to set a high standard in practice, even at 34.
As someone who has been part of the PKL since its early days, Fazel didn’t hold back in exposing how some seasoned players would go to great lengths to avoid putting in the hard work. However, he pointed out that Maninder Singh, one of the most successful raiders in PKL history, leads by example.
“It’s been very good (On preseason training with Bengal Warriorz). All the players are performing well. For example, Maninder practices for 3 hours, and the young players follow him. They can’t practice for 2 hours if a senior player is putting in 3 hours—they should do 3.5 hours. I’ve played with senior players before who would fake injuries to avoid practice. But here, we are working hard,” Fazel Atrachali noted.
PKL 11 marks a new chapter for Fazel as he takes on the captaincy at Bengal Warriorz. Having been a captain for many years, both in the PKL and for the Iranian national team, he feels comfortable in the role. However, he explained that being a captain isn’t just about the title but the added pressure and responsibility that come with it.
“This is normal for me because I’ve been a captain for about 11 years. It’s not something new that I would be overly excited about. Being a captain isn’t always positive; it's a big title, but behind it comes a lot of responsibility and pressure. It’s not something particularly special for me,” he added.
Fazel was initially pleased to join Bengal Warriorz, knowing Maninder Singh was the captain. He shared how there was a friendly discussion between them over who should lead the team, with both deferring to the other.
“Before this season, when I joined Bengal during the auction, I was really happy that Maninder Singh was here and that he was the captain. But there was this friendly debate where he kept saying that I should be the captain, and I said he should continue as captain. In other teams, players may fight to be the captain, but here it was the opposite; we were passing the role to each other. Ultimately, it was decided that I would take up the captaincy,” Fazel continued.
Excited to finally play on the same team as Maninder, Fazel highlighted how the presence of such an experienced raider will benefit the team. Having a strong raiding lineup with players like Maninder and Nitin Kumar allows the defense to perform better, as they don’t have to wait long to be revived after being tackled out.
“For the last 2-3 years, whenever I met Maninder, I would tell him, ‘One day we should play in the same team.’ Along with Maninder, we also have Nitin Kumar in the raiding department. If your offense is strong, your defense will naturally perform better. When you don’t have a good raider, you might be out for 10 minutes waiting for your team to bring you back in. But with Maninder, there’s comfort. If you get out, he’ll get a point and bring you back,” the Iranian said.
“Some coaches are very strict and put pressure on you” - Fazel Atrachali opens up on the difference between Prashant Surve and other coaches in PKL
Fazel Atrachali expressed his admiration for Prashant Surve, the head coach of Bengal Warriorz for PKL 11. Surve, who had been the assistant coach for Bengal since Season 9, has now taken up the reins as head coach. Fazel praised Surve’s coaching methods, highlighting how his approach stands out compared to other coaches he has played under in PKL.
“Some coaches are very strict and put pressure on you, saying you should stay on the mat or do certain things. But here, Coach Prashant Surve lets us play our game. He was a player himself, so he understands the players well. For example, Maninder has been playing for so long, you can’t change his skill in a month," Fazel Atrachali said.
"You need to let him play freely and push him to perform better. That’s what the coach does here. He points out our mistakes but doesn’t disturb us during practice. If you want to be a good coach, you should talk simply and briefly, then leave the players to practice. Talking helps only 5%, while 95% comes from practice,” he added.
With experienced players like Maninder Singh and vice-captain Nitesh Kumar in the squad, Fazel feels the weight of leadership is shared. He acknowledged that having such seasoned players eases the burden on him as captain, especially during moments of pressure.
“I feel freer because Maninder Singh and Nitesh Kumar are there. If I make a mistake, they can step in. Sometimes, I may not perform well; I am not God; I’m not perfect. Sometimes I’ll be under pressure and unable to communicate with the players, but they and the coaches are there to help,” he concluded.
