Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: Tamil Thalaivas captain Ajay Thakur picks his favourite for the trophy

Friday's second Pro Kabaddi League matchup was between two teams with contrasting objectives. Perched at the top of Zone B after 20 games, Bengal Warriors were determined to continue their good run.

They were up against Tamil Thalaivas, a team already out of the tournament. The southern outfit can't bank on much for motivation but they looked refreshingly focused for a side with nothing to play for.

Both teams began on an equal footing, consistently trading blows in what was an intriguing affair. However, as the game stretched into the second half, Bengal Warriors began to up the ante as they kept peeling away from the Thalaivas. Bengal eventually registered a well deserved 34-30 victory.

Post the game, Thalaivas captain, Ajay Thakur revealed his favourite to win Pro Kabaddi season 5. Thakur's pick did not come as a surprise to anyone - he reckons Gujarat are an extremely talented outfit.

"According to me Gujarat Fortunegiants look the most dangerous. Their offence, defence and combinations are amazing," he stated.

Reflecting on the season, Ajay chose to look at the positives rather than focus on the negatives. He believes his team are talented and shrugged aside suggestions that the Thalaivas need better players in the starting seven.

"We're out of the playoff but I believe the team should not let go till the end because we have nothing to lose. We are a new team with young players, I believe we have played very well."

"You shall see next season. I don't see anything wrong with this team, we have beaten Haryana and Gujarat this season. It's just that we suffered too many injuries," he said.

Asked if he believes Thalaivas need to sign better defenders for season 6, Thakur was in complete denial. He refused to throw his team under the bus and attributed his team's losses to constant injuries to players in the starting seven.

"We have Darshan and Pradap in defence, they have played very well. But we have suffered too many injuries. If this had not happened, we could have played much better," he opined.

Ajay is just a single point away from scoring 200 raid points this season. With 199 points in 21 matches, he averages 9.5 points per match - a stunning return considering he is part of an extremely young side.

He will have the opportunity to score his 200th point when Tamil Thalaivas lock horns with Patna Pirates in their final game of the season on Saturday.