Sachin Tanwar broke the record by becoming the most expensive player in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 11 auction on August 15. The 25-year-old was bought by Tamil Thalaivas for a whopping 2.15 crores, making him the most expensive buy. Sachin started his journey with the Gujarat Giants as a regular player but later joined Patna Pirates, where he found his true potential and became an important player for his team. The raider from Rajasthan also gained international recognition after winning a gold medal at the Asian Games, which helped him earn a place in Tamil Thalaivas for crores.
“My team has shown faith in me and placed such a big bid, so the whole season I will be focused on giving my best to my team and taking it to the finals,” Sachin said.
Insidesport exclusively spoke to Sachin Tanwar ahead of the new Pro Kabaddi League season to understand his vision and plans for the season.
Kabaddi is in the blood now
Sachin comes from a village in Rajasthan. He started playing Kabaddi when he was just 10 or 11 years old. “Kabaddi was started by my elder brother. He used to play Kabaddi, and seeing him, I also started playing. He told me to play Kabaddi, so I started playing in the fifth grade. Since then, Kabaddi has been in my blood. Apart from this, there is nothing else,” he said.
It was a long path for the raider to gain global recognition. “I played from school at the district, state, and national levels. After that, I played in Junior Nationals, where we got third position. Then I played for Junior India and won gold there too. After that, I joined the senior team and played in the Asian Championship in 2017, where I also won gold. Since then, I have been continuously in the Indian team,” he added.
“People are very happy in the village. Whenever I come back after playing a tournament, I am welcomed. I also play with small children and train them. It feels great when the villagers give me so much respect,” he stated.
It’s time to win the trophy
In the past, Sachin has seen some glory. Since making his debut in 2017, he has played three knockout matches but has never been able to clinch the trophy. “The expectation is that I have worked on improving the mistakes I made last time. This time, the motto is to give 100% to my team and win the trophy in the finals. I have played in three finals and one semi-final. This time the goal is to take my team to the finals and win,” he said.
“When I debuted with the Gujarat team in season 5, that was the most memorable moment for me. It was a great experience,” he added.
Chemistry with Narendar
This year, PKL will witness a pair of two talented young raiders in one team. Tamil Thalaivas will have two young stars, Narendar and Sachin, playing for a single team, making them a formidable force. Talking about the chemistry with Narendar, he said, “I talk to Narendar quite often, both earlier and even now. Our communication is very good. For example, Narendar bhai will raid on the left, and I will raid on the right. We will play according to the situation of the match. Narendar bhai is the best raider, and I will give my best to the team along with him.”
Do-or-die raids become a pressure situation; talking about that, he said, “During the match, when it is do-or-die, I think that my team needs points. There is no pressure; I just think that I have to get points so that the team wins. In these moments, I think that this point is very important, and I have to get it.”
Learning from Sir Cheralathan
Sachin has been a raider, a raid specialist, but at the same time, he has a great strike rate for defending as well. With the appointment of legendary defender Cheralathan as coach, Sachin will be looking to improve his defending abilities as well. “Coach Cheralathan is a great defender, and there is a lot to learn from his technique. We will also defend along with raiding, which will be beneficial for our team,” he said.
Earlier disappointments from PKL
Sachin has been playing for India from the junior level. When he was 17, he was signed by Telugu Titans. But later, his contract got terminated due to PKL age restriction policies, where only players above 18 years of age can play. “In 2016, I came back after playing for Junior India. At that time, I could not play in the PKL because I was under 18 years of age. I thought, work hard, focus on your game, and when I get a chance, do your best. Then I got a chance in 2017, and I made the most of it,” Sachin said.
Target for 200 Raid Points
Sachin started playing in the PKL in 2017, where he earned 173 points in 24 matches. He reached his peak in 2018, where he earned 204 points. This was the only season where he crossed the 200+ mark; now he’s been consistent between 170-190. On being asked if he’s targeting the 200 points mark, he said, “The target is 200, but my team also has to give its best. There’s no point if I score 215 points and my team doesn’t win. At the same time, if I score 125 points and my team reaches the final and wins the trophy, that will be the biggest victory for me.”
“We just have to do our best. Our preparation is going very well, and we will try our best to give our best for our team with full hard work,” he added.
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