Well, I have to get married at some point. It has to happen at some point.
Oh and if there's desi ghee to go with it, nothing like it
Girls often text me late at night on Whatsapp and I just block them.
I never imagined I would earn so much in my life.
I never thought I would be able to afford to own and ride an Audi Q7.
I have only seen people do that in Punjabi songs.
*quotes a punjabi song*
Where do you get desi ghee in hotels?
Pure ghee from home is incomparable.
You smell it and it makes your day!
I used to do the training the Army required.
But I would compete with those who would run there
I used to participate in athletics there.
I then had a phase when I was obsessed with cricket
I saved money somehow and got myself a nice kit
It costed me around 5000 rupees then.
So cricket it was for a while
On the side, as I was running on day, I saw that trials were happening for Kabaddi for the Sports Authority of India
I gave it a shot for the sake of it
So I finished my workout and said let's go play kabaddi today
I raided and defended well in that trial
The madam there, who ultimately went on to marry my brother..
God knows when they fell in love, anyway....
Ultimately she became my sister in law
She told me that I can become a very good player in this game
She said I have the qualities to play this game and reap the benefits that come with it
..including employment and such. That's when I knew that something like Nationals exist..
... and that Kabaddi also had dedicated coaches and a system
Initially, I would be sent out to help the main team warm up
So I had to run around and running running, I became a raider
I started with the running hand touch
I was a good runner
My stamina was really good because I was a regular runner
I had speed so I would quickly get a touch and move away
Eventually this very thing got me chances as a raider
And I was never afraid of anyone on the mat right from the start
I didn't care if a senior was standing there or...
how beefed up or strong someone was.. I didn't care
I have two hands and legs, the opponent does too. Whatever comes after, we'll handle it.
To survive in the Kabaddi scene, it is imperative to play the Nationals
How do you do that when you're out sitting by the sidelines?
Unless you stand out, who is going to know who you are?
That show and style is necessary, more than we think it is
That quality got me an opportunity. I was noticed and picked
I played many National tournaments for Air India and was successful in All India tournaments
We played and beat top teams like ONGC, Army, BPCL - we beat them several times
We did lose to them too, but the fact that we could compete at this level gave us a lot of confidence
I was anxious about leaving home
I didn't know how life would be
I would practice all day and then come back in the evening and cry
I used to miss my family a lot, it was my first time away from home
I found out that life away from home is hard
My first time away was quite long and I learnt the difficulties of that the hard way
At one point, I thought enough is enough, I am just going to leave everything, go back home and get back to farming
At home, I would argue at home, my dad would beat me and I'd feel it was better to just be away playing
So for a while, I thought I was getting a little bored there
But then a few months later, my seniors sat me down and explained that my future lies here
They shared their experiences with me
They would say, we are like your elder brothers, come and talk to us instead of crying by yourself
One day, I had packed my bags and was ready to run away and go back home when a senior of mine stopped me
Gave me a good dressing down and convinced me to stay
A farmer and a soldier cannot rest
If they rest, it comes down to doing nothing in their lives
 
So when we get a break from the Army, we'd come back home and tend to our lands.
A player is no different. Even during the off season, it is important for a player to stay fit
It is also important for longevity and sustenance in the sport
Farming is hard work
We have sugarcane farms and it's hard work from start to end
Weeding the area around the plantation...
..requires a lot of strength in your shoulders
Keep at it for a few hours and the exhaustion is real
Bringing mud for the planting
Figuring out your farm during the rains to prevent flooding
Putting the soil in a trolley, bringing it there, setting the field
I would fill from one side, my brother would from the other
This is what I'd do when I went back home
Sometimes we'd go running.. Sometimes we'd take the bulls out to plough the land. We'd keep doing something or the other
I am glad ProKabaddi came up during my time as a player. I would feel bad if i missed an opportunity like this
Like our older players, some of them are so good
Like Rakesh, Sanjeev Baliyan, BC Ramesh
There were so many players who were at the top back in the day
But feel bad to have missed an opportunity with a platform like this
Or for some, it came a little too late in their careers and they wish it had come earlier.
Our team from SAI used to travel and play and with that our enthusiasm and confidence to play improved.
I played with Ajay Thakur a few times
He used to play for Air India
I used to play for SAI. We faced each other a few times
Once he came up to me and asked what I do in life, I said nothing much
I had played decently against his time so he called me to have a word
We greeted each other
He asked me if I'd like to play for Air India
So I said, absolutely, I will be indebted to you if I can
So he took me into the team
The coach in Air India then told him
"I haven't seen this boy play."
Ajay then told him that I play for SAI Gandhinagar and is a very good player
The coach then did his due diligence and then I was inducted completely
I then flew for the very first time in my life and Ajay was there
And I did not know what I was feeling honestly
Where I used to sit around in the village and play kabaddi
and now I am sitting in a plane...
 
Ajay was with you in the flight?
Yes
I was so excited
I just kept telling him how grateful I was
Ajay is very different from the rest as a kabaddi player
His style of play and temperament are very different
I think he is the best player I've ever seen
in terms of his temperament
and it is why I became a fan of him
He is like a guru (teacher) to me
He's just got a very different style of play
I have never seen him nervous
From start to finish, he has the same speed when he steps out to raid, no matter what happens
I have also learnt that no matter what happens, be it catch or tackle, you should maintain a good energy level
If someone is triggering you, we need to resist getting triggered
Victory lies beyond fear
I have an Audi Q7, Fortuner
Scorpio...
...did you buy them all?...
Yes.
I never imagined I would be able to afford all this. That's how much Kabaddi has given me
I never thought I would be able to afford to own and ride an Audi Q7.
I have only seen people do that in Punjabi songs. *quotes a punjabi song*
So I was really stoked to be able to buy them and I would get pictures taken of me peeping out of the sun roof.
I have the cars, I have a tractor
5-6 bikes too, 3-4 scooties
I have more vehicles than people to ride those vehicles
You guys have given me a celebrity status of sorts so it's not easy to step out in the bike.
Riding is a different experience by itself though.
My favourite is dal makhani
and paneer
Ever since Pro Kabaddi became a part of my life though, the attention on my weight has increased
I don't get to eat all this, I just have see and make do
Because maintaining a certain weight is crucial
Now, there's no trace of any butter in my food. It feels like a punishment
When Pro Kabaddi just came,
we would eat sweets,
and try new dishes every other day
As expected, our weight would also fluctuate because of that
My weight in the first season was 78kg
Now, it fluctuates between 87, 86, 85
We have to maintain it at 85. If I don't practice it goes 2-3 kgs up or down
If I keep a watch, 83-84 is where I stand
I rarely eat oily food
Healthy dal is fine, paneer is fine
rotis
and if you get wood-fired rotis to go with the dal makhani, with water from home, that's the perfect meal
and if there's some desi ghee to go with it, ohhhh
that's a jackpot
After coming in to Pro Kabaddi, I really miss ghee
We barely get to have it
Where do you get desi ghee in hotels?
Pure ghee from home is incomparable.
You smell it and it makes your day!
One can't expect that here
God knows what they make in the buffets and what all they use in it
An advantage we had as budding players is that these mobile phones weren't around then
Mobiles are the world's biggest sources of tension
You might be sleeping and it'll keep buzzing
You might be back after a long day and for fear of being disturbed, you have to turn your phone off and sleep
Sometimes it happens that you have just gone to bed and someone messages or calls
Others don't know you've had a long day or have had a hard day at practice
Others would just assume I am as free as they are
When people call in my sleep, I feel so bad. Once I am disturbed, it's hard for me to fall back to sleep
On Whatsapp also, sometimes girls message me but I just block them
I feel sometimes that I am the only one who hasn't managed to win the PKL title
Noone asks who the best raider was, people ask for the champion
See in cricket, in the World Cup, at the end, only the winner matters
I think I did play well for like 80% but I am not able to give my 100%
I just want to keep going, for my country, state, team, club
Now for the Thalaivas, before I was with the Titans
I just want to keep trying to perform better
This is not enough
So the focus now is to keep practicing towards that end
Let me first win a title and then we'll think about marriage
Then there's no tension
I have to get married at some point
It is important, a partner is important
 
