Haryana Steelers’ head coach Manpreet Singh took a subtle yet cheeky dig at Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 2024’s most expensive player, Sachin Tanwar, during the pre-match build-up ahead of their clash against UP Yoddhas on Tuesday, December 17.
Speaking to Star Sports, Manpreet remarked:
“League ka jo sabse costliest player hai, woh nahi chalta hai” (The league’s most expensive player doesn’t deliver).
Manpreet’s comments were aimed at Sachin Tanwar, who was bought by Tamil Thalaivas for a staggering INR 2.15 crore in the PKL 11 auction, making him the most expensive buy in the tournament’s history. However, Sachin’s underwhelming performance this season has been a major talking point.
With just 76 raid points in 16 matches at an average of 4.75 raid points per game and a mere two Super 10s, Sachin has fallen short of expectations. His form has been a big factor in Tamil Thalaivas’ dismal season, which has already seen them eliminated from the playoff race.
Interestingly, Manpreet Singh and Sachin share a history. Sachin made his PKL debut under Manpreet’s guidance during Season 5 for Gujarat Giants, where he quickly rose to prominence. Manpreet’s recent statement, however, hints at the trends over how big-money signings sometimes fail to live up to their hype.
Manpreet Singh hopes for a title-winning run with Haryana Steelers after a runner-up finish in PKL 2023
The conversation initially revolved around emerging trends in the PKL. The tournament has an interesting pattern where teams finishing as runners-up in one season go on to win the title in the next.
For instance, U Mumba finished runners-up in Season 1 and won the title in Season 2. Similarly, Dabang Delhi were runners-up in Season 7 before claiming the title in Season 8, while Puneri Paltan, after falling short in Season 9, emerged victorious in Season 10.
With Haryana Steelers finishing as runners-up in PKL 10 and currently sitting at the top of the table in PKL 11, Manpreet Singh expressed hope that this trend would continue in their favor.
However, his optimism has taken a hit in recent matches. After securing their spot in the playoffs, Haryana Steelers have suffered back-to-back defeats, including a 24-31 loss to UP Yoddhas immediately after Manpreet’s remarks.