Our sole focus is Gujarat Fortunegiants, says Jaipur Pink Panthers skipper Deepak Hooda

A clinical display from the offence and defence helped Jaipur Pink Panthers register their fifth win in VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 7 after brushing aside Puneri Paltan by a 33-25 scoreline at the EKA Arena by TransStadia in Ahmedabad on Thursday. In the post-match press conference, coach Srinivas Reddy and captain Deepak Hooda took questions for Jaipur Pink Panthers, while Puneri Paltan were represented by coach Anup Kumar and captain Surjeet Singh.

Jaipur Pink Panthers

Q. Did you think the game would be this lopsided?

Deepak Hooda: We never adopt the mindset that a particular game would be easy for us. All teams are well-balanced and have good players. We came in with our own gameplan and we executed it to perfection. The raiders did their job and so did the defenders.

Q. Thoughts on the team's form?

Deepak Hooda: To us, it’s always on to the next one. We don’t dwell too much on games that have finished. Tomorrow we play another big game against Gujarat Fortunegiants in front of their home crowd. Our sole focus is Gujarat Fortunegiants. All we care about is the next game.

Q. Who would you pick out as the best individual performer on the team?

Deepak Hooda: We are a team. There are no individuals. If a particular player is having a bad night, someone else steps up to get the job done.

Q. Do you believe your team is close to perfection?

Srinivas Reddy: No team is perfect. There’s definitely a lot of positives but there are some negatives as well. Our consistency has been phenomenal. The Covers, Corners, raiders, everyone did their job.

Puneri Paltan

Q. Thoughts on the game?

Anup Kumar: The defence could have played better. The raiding unit was brilliant today. But the defence left a lot to be desired.

Q. Thoughts on the raiding unit?

Anup Kumar: Phenomenal performance. Nitin Tomar was good, Manjeet was good, Pankaj Mohite was outstanding. Overall, brilliant.

Q. Thoughts on the defensive unit?

Anup Kumar: We looked tentative in trying to attack their raiders. Given the quality that Nitin Rawal and Deepak Hooda possess, giving them a second chance is inviting trouble.

Q. What was the thought process behind the substitutions?

Anup Kumar: We have a bench full of talented players. If our starters aren’t producing the desired results, it’s natural for us to look at our bench and see who can provide us with a bit of magic on the mat.