The team was extra motivated today, reveals Patna Pirates’ Neeraj Kumar

Proficient performances from skipper Pardeep Narwal and Right Corner Neeraj Kumar guided Patna Pirates to an impressive 41-20 victory over U.P. Yoddha at the Patliputra Indoor Stadium in Patna on Friday. In the post-match press conference, Patna Pirates coach Ram Mehar Singh, captain Pardeep Narwal and Corner Neeraj Kumar took questions for their team while coach Jasveer Singh and captain Nitesh Kumar represented U.P. Yoddha.

Patna Pirates

Q. Great performance. Thoughts on the game?

Ram Mehar Singh: Defence is always the key to victory. If the defence clicks, the team does well. Today our defence was outstanding and so was our offence. When both units play so well, it usually means victory.

Q. What was the key to your performance Neeraj?

Neeraj Kumar: The team was extra motivated today. The previous matches, we did not play to our potential. But today, we wanted to show what we were capable of.

Q. Did the team work extra hard on defence over the past two days?

Neeraj Kumar: Yes, the coach was constantly working with us and the results are evident.

Q. How satisfying was this win?

Pardeep Narwal: It was extremely satisfying. After the first three games, we had to win, and I am glad we did.

Q. What was your attitude towards this game?

Ram Mehar Singh: I told my team let bygones be bygones. Focus on this game. For us, the league starts today. We have to focus on doing well in the next 16 games. I told my defence if they played well, we cannot be stopped from winning. The fans were hoping for a big performance from us today, and we are glad we could give them that. Beating an excellent team like U.P. Yoddha will give a lot of confidence and hopefully, we can build from here.

U.P. Yoddha

Q. Thoughts on the game?

Jasveer Singh: They executed their plan to perfection and we could have done better with ours. The start wasn’t ideal, and we couldn’t do well.

Q. Same question for you, Nitesh.

Nitesh Kumar: If you don’t start well, it’s usually tough to recover. The defence was a bit too eager today and that ended up costing us.

Q. Thoughts on Rishank’s form?

Nitesh Kumar: He’s a champion raider. Of course, form comes and goes, so I am sure he’ll perform well.

Q. Could we see some new faces in the upcoming games?

Jasveer Singh: Definitely. We have a talented roster and we’ll try to give everyone an opportunity to showcase what they have in their kitty.