Pro Kabaddi 2019: 'Ajay Thakur is a calm and composed captain,' says Tamil Thalaivas' ace corner defender Mohit Chhillar

A two-time gold medal winner with the Indian national kabaddi team, Mohit Chhillar is one of the most respected right-corner defenders in the Pro Kabaddi League. A big-match player known for his powerful holds, Chhillar has 247 points from 91 matches and is one among the top five 'most successful defenders' in the history of the league.

Coming from a family with a sports background, Chhillar was bound to find interest in kabaddi and soon earned a massive status as one of the upcoming defenders in the local circuit. On the back of some impressive shows from the state-wide competitions, he was drafted into the U Mumba setup for the inaugural season of the PKL.

Chhillar impressed in his first ever season, picking up 35 tackle points from just 16 matches and more importantly, formed a fantastic alliance with left corner defender Surender Nada.

The Chhillar-Nada alliance struck wonders for U Mumba in the second season as the duo collected a combined 83 points from 14 matches that led the franchise to its first ever title victory. Chhillar, though, outscored Nada and finished with 42 points to his credit.

His third season with U Mumba was the best for the ace defender as he finished with 46 points from 13 matches, although the franchise did not lift the title. With a career-defining show from season 3, it made sense that Chhillar stole the headlines from the season 4 auctions as he emerged as the costliest purchase for a defender in the history of the league.

With his services procured by the Bengaluru Bulls for a whopping sum of ₹53 lakh, all eyes were on Chhillar as the Bulls began their campaign in search of an elusive title. He did enjoy a terrific campaign, earning 47 points from 14 matches but the Bulls crashed out of the group stages.

Ahead of season 5, Chhillar shifted to the Haryana Steelers after being released by the Bulls but did not have the greatest of seasons, as per his lofty standards, with just 39 points from 20 matches. For the sixth season, Chhillar was signed by the Jaipur Pink Panthers.

Sadly though, a string of injuries hit the right corner defender at the wrong time as he spent a majority of his time off the mat and could pick up just 31 points from 14 matches. A poor performance saw Chhillar released into the auction pool for season seven, where he was signed up by the Thalaivas for a sum of ₹45 lakh.

For PKL 7, Mohit Chhillar will be teaming up with big stars such as Manjeet Chhillar, Ran Singh in the defense unit while the raiding unit will be bolstered with the presence of Ajay Thakur, Shabeer Bapu and 'poster boy' Rahul Chaudhari.

With the Thalaivas having put together an extremely strong looking squad on paper, the right corner's presence and form on the mat will undoubtedly have a major say on the outcome of the team's campaign.

As we lead up to the upcoming season, Sportskeeda caught up with Mohit Chhillar in an exclusive chat as the defender shed light on his targets for the season, the experience of playing under Ajay Thakur and much more.

Q. Tell us a bit about how your preparations are going on for the season ahead.

Our preparatory camp has been going on very well and the main focus has been on improving our fitness and fine-tuning each of our strengths. As a group, we are trying our level best to start the season as an injury-free unit.

Q. The last two seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League have not been the best for you, in terms of performance. What are some of the changes you have made to your style of play that can change your fortunes for the upcoming season?

In the last season, I was hit by a slew of injuries that dented my performance. For the upcoming season, the one main focus for me is to prove to my own self and the league that I can make a huge difference with my skills. For this to happen, I have re-visited the areas where I was lacking last season and tried to strengthen those areas.

Q. For the first time in Pro Kabaddi, you will be playing under Ajay Thakur's captaincy. How excited are you to play under his leadership?

I have played with Ajay Thakur in the past as a part of the national side for the Asian Games and Asian Championships. I have not played with him in Pro Kabaddi but just like Anup Kumar, Thakur is also a very cool captain. He is calm and composed and does not fret too much about our mistakes which gives us extra confidence to push harder.

Q. The Tamil Thalaivas' squad for this season boasts of some big names including the likes of Ajay Thakur, Rahul Chaudhari and Manjeet Chhillar. Do you think that your team looks the best on paper?

On paper, we have one of the best teams with each position set to be taken by top-class players. However, even though our team looks good on paper, we will need to put in solid performances on the mat to work out our combinations and then go on to win games.

Q. Have you made any changes to your skill-set that we can witness during PKL 7?

I have worked on my skills but all of it will only be on display during the matches. Stars in our team such as Ajay, Rahul, Manjeet, and Ran Singh have all tried to improve on their skill and if we can all combine to form a strong team, it will take the Thalaivas to greater heights.

Q. What are you personal targets and how do you think they can go in parallel with the Thalaivas' chances to go all the way to win the title?

My personal target will be to ensure that I put up strong performances on the mat that translates to the Thalaivas' good run in the tournament such that we find a spot in the playoffs.

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