"They could not digest the fact that I became more famous"- Rahul Chaudhari explains why 'jealous' PKL coaches do not buy him at auction

Pro Kabaddi League's first poster boy Rahul Chaudhari has alleged that some of the current PKL coaches are jealous of him. Without taking any names, Rahul said that these coaches played with him in the initial few seasons of the tournament.

Despite performing well in National Games, Chaudhari remained unsold in the PKL 11 Auction. Even in the previous season, Rahul went unsold once and was later signed by Jaipur Pink Panthers, who mainly kept him on the bench.

In an appearance on the Sagar Sinha show, a fan asked Rahul Chaudhari about the potential reason behind him going unsold.

"I think I became more popular than some of the other prominent players playing with me in the league. The fame became a problem for me," Rahul replied with a smile."

"I was the best raider in season 1 when there were some Arjuna Award winner players in the league, and I became the poster boy of the tournament. Those players are coaches now. They could not digest the fact that I became more famous. In a way, my fame became my enemy. That's why I think they went unsold," the former Telugu Titans superstar added.

Rahul never got consistent opportunities to play PKL matches after the seventh season. He was majorly used as a substitute raider, but still he is among the Top 5 most successful raiders of all time in PKL history.

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"Coach has a setting with every player"- Rahul Chaudhari reveals unknown things of how coaches sign PKL players

In the same podcast, Rahul Chaudhari further disclosed that some players form a good relationship with the coach and continue playing in Pro Kabaddi League despite producing bad performances.

"Coach has a setting with every player. If a player has a setting with the coach, he can play Pro Kabaddi League. There are players who have been playing for the last five-six seasons and they do not have even five points. They never go unsold. You can get an idea of how PKL works," Rahul said.

Rahul then gave an example of current Patna Pirates star Devank Dalal. He is second on the raiders' leaderboard of PKL 11 right now, but he had been warming the benches at Jaipur Pink Panthers over the last two seasons.

"I was lucky enough to play a lot in Pro Kabaddi League, but there have been many players, who sat on the bench and then got sidelined from the league.

"For example, in season 11, Devank is one of the top raiders for Patna. He was on the bench in the last two seasons. Why? Because of the coach. If you are close to the coach, you will play."

"It doesn't matter if a player is more talented than you, he will be on the bench if you are close to the coach. If the coach likes you, then you will only play. In Pro Kabaddi right now, a coach can make you a hero, and he can also make a player zero. God knows what's happening in PKL's game of coaches," he concluded.

Sanjeev Baliyan has been the coach of Jaipur Pink Panthers over the last few seasons. Many fans consider him as one of the best coaches in kabaddi history, but Rahul Chaudhari may have subtly confirmed that Baliyan also has his favorites who he backs more than others.