Pro Kabaddi League 2017: Hope to cross the crore mark in next auction, reveals Manjeet Chhillar in an exclusive interview

Manjeet Chhillar is one of the biggest names in the sport of kabaddi and the all-rounder is all set for another Pro Kabaddi season which will see him take the mat for the Jaipur Pink Panthers. The new season begins on July 28 and its preparation is already on for Chhillar as he looks to get his hands on the elusive PKL trophy on the fifth attempt.

At the auction, the former Puneri Paltan and Bengaluru Bulls star was the toast of the town after garnering a Rs 75.50 lakh bid to his name before the raiders went under the hammer. Nitin Tomar and Rohit Kumar stole the show but there are no doubts about Chhillar’s ability and that he will prove his worth once the new season begins.

We at Sportskeeda spoke to him in an exclusive interview and the 30-year-old discussed a variety of matters. Here are a few excerpts!

How is the preparation for the new season going? What are your expectations from it?

Preparations are going strong and later this month, we will have our team’s camp where will train together and form our strategies for the upcoming season. I am also doing physical training on my own so that I am in the best possible shape once the matches begin.

All of us will work very hard and give our best. Our target is to make the knockout stages and reach the finals. I can’t wait for everything to start once again.

What are your thoughts on your own team? Your partnership with Jasvir Singh should be an interesting one.

I am very happy with the team we have. We have Jasvir Singh, Navneet Gautam and Somvir Shekhar – all of us have played together for almost 15 years now in the India camp as well as the national team. We have loads of experience playing together and our coordination is excellent as well.

We also have a great coach in the form of Balwan Singh. He is highly experienced, a Dronacharya awardee and I am sure we will get the full benefit of having him as our coach this season.

How would you assess the other teams in the competition? Do you think there are any clear favourites?

Looking at the lineups, I would say that all teams are more or less equally balanced. U Mumba, Pune, Telugu Titans, Bengal – all have good teams. There is no side that has any clearer weaknesses. I think the matches will be decided on the day itself – it’s hard to predict at this point.

What are your thoughts on the prices for which the players have gone in the auction?

When it comes to auctions, I believe that all players will get the amount they deserve according to how they have performed. I am satisfied with what I have got. 75 lakh is a huge amount but I am sure it will only increase in the future. In the next auction, I am certain that we will see the bids cross the crore mark!

What would you say on the players from Iran? Are they at the same level as the Indian team?

I can surely say that they have improved greatly and can take on any team in the world. Earlier, we just knew about Fazel (Atrachali) and Meraj Sheykh but they great performance in the World Cup has made people notice them.

We have come to know about 10-12 more players of theirs over the last year and it is no surprise that they are being sold for such huge amounts in the auction.