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Tamil Thalaivas captain Sagar Rathee has been officially ruled out of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL)’s 11th season due to an injury, marking a significant setback for the team. The Thalaivas had a strong start, securing a few early wins, but their momentum has since faltered, with the team now on a three-match losing streak.
Sagar initially participated in their season opener but sustained an injury, sidelining him from subsequent matches. Veteran defender Sahil Gulia, known for his skills at the left corner, has been filling in as captain in Sagar's absence.
Ahead of their match against Bengaluru Bulls on November 4, the Tamil Thalaivas coach had stated that Sagar Rathee was expected to return in a few days. While there was hope for Sagar’s return, he recently confirmed in a video posted on Tamil Thalaivas’ Instagram page that he is still not fully recovered and will miss the remainder of the season.
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In their season opener against Telugu Titans, Sagar Rathee looked in good touch as he secured three tackle points from four tackle attempts. However, he then suffered an injury and had to be substituted during the 32nd minute of the match.
"Hello, Tamil Thalaivas fans. I am Sagar Rathee, as you all know I got injured during the first match of the season. I tried a lot to come back from this injury but now it is not possible this season. I am very sad about this because now I will have to stay away from my Tamil family for a few days," Sagar said in the video posted by Tamil Thalaivas on Instagram.
"Our team has not been able to perform well in the last two or three matches. For that, we will plan again and try to do well in the next match. I have a lot of expectations from our team, which is a very strong team. I am confident that the team will make a great comeback. All of you keep your love on us like this," he added.
Sagar Rathee has been a consistent performer for Tamil Thalaivas over the years
Sagar Rathee made his PKL debut in Season 7 with the Tamil Thalaivas. While he scored only 22 tackle points in his first season, he proved his worth in Season 8, accumulating 82 tackle points. He followed it up with 53 tackle points in Season 9.
He put up a fine performance last season too, scoring 66 tackle points. Sagar also started on a promising note in Season 11, picking up three tackle points before he got injured.
He has been the backbone of Tamil Thalaivas' defense in the last few seasons. In his PKL career, he has scored 226 tackle points from 71 games with 24 Super Tackles and 20 High 5s, quickly establishing himself among the top defenders in the league.
