He’s not just a leader in defence, but also when it comes to style. t2 chatted with dynamic defender Ran Singh before the home leg began.

You guys are on top of your zone. What’s the secret of the dream run?

Bahut achha chal raha hai. We had a two-month-long camp before the season, which helped us gel as a unit. The fitness level of the players is also very high. The management is very helpful. It’s been great. 

After playing for Jaipur for four seasons, was it tough settling in here?

Mushkil lag raha tha. I had played for Jaipur for all four seasons, so this was all new to me. But when Bengal picked Mani (Maninder Singh), I felt a lot nicer. Phir koi tension nahin tha.

What’s the Bengal dressing room like?

It’s very chilled out. There’s no junior-senior in the squad... we’re all equals. We all chill and have a laugh when we’re not playing.

But you’re a leader on the mat...

Well, Surjeet and I are two of the most senior players in the squad. So we always speak to the younger players and according to the situation of the game, we tell the others how to raid or defend. 

How are you liking Calcutta?

We haven’t been able to leave the team hotel much... but the weather here is very pleasant. I had haleem during Id here, it was great. 

What’s your message to the fans in Calcutta?

All teams look strong. But ours is the best unit. Keep supporting us in this league and we’ll try our best to win it.

You’re the stylebhai of the team. Who’s your style guru?

Waisa kuch nahin hain (smiles)! I went to some foreign countries while playing circle kabaddi. So the first time I went to Canada in 2010, somebody there told me to get a tattoo and that it would look nice with my muscles, so I got this panther!

RAPID RAN

Favourite Movie

Dangal

Actor
Aamir Khan

Actress
Deepika Padukone

Song

All Punjabi songs

Food
Dal roti

Teammate

Maninder Singh

He speaks in a Punjabi-Hindi mix. But on the mat, raider Maninder Singh only understands one thing: Super 10. t2 caught up with him before the home leg. 

You’ve been the star this season. How did kabaddi start for you? 

My father used to play kabaddi. I started playing in school and college. I used to play football as well. But since everyone I knew played circle kabaddi, I played it more. Slowly I started loving the sport.

You’re also quite style-conscious...

It’s all because of Ran Singh! I grew up watching him. While growing up I would see him and always dream of growing up to be like him. In our circle tournaments, we used to always lose to his team. So I was a fan of his. He then went to Canada and came back with a tattoo. So I was, like, even I want a tattoo like him! 

How many tattoos do you have now?

Well I have this panther on my arm just like Ran Singh, my nickname on my forearm and the initial of my fiancee, Simran, on my neck. 

You’re engaged! Will she come for any of the matches here?

We just got engaged before the season, but she won’t come. She’s still studying. 

You and Ran Singh are quite close, what does he mean to you?

We share everything with each other. He’s like my elder brother. There’s nothing that he doesn’t know about me or vice versa. So it’s great having him in the team.

How’s Akshay Kumar as a co-owner?

He calls us before and after the match. It’s not like it’s for a few seconds. You can feel he follows our games. He motivates us before games. 

What was your reaction when Bengal picked you?

I played the first season for Jaipur (Pink Panthers) but missed the seasons after that because of injuries. But this time I was hoping Jaipur would pick me. But once Ran Singh was picked up by Bengal, I changed my mind. I wanted to play in the same team with him. He called me in the morning to tell me that we had both been picked by Bengal… so felt great! It’s lucky for us. Last time we played for Jaipur, we won Pro Kabaddi. This time also we’re in the same team, so dekho kya hota hai!

TEAM SECRETS

Prankster 

Deepak Narwal and me too!

Serious stud

Surjeet Singh

Selfie King

Me and Ran  

Fitness Freak

Jang Kun Lee is really fit

Lazy Lad

Deepak Narwal

A BRITISH INTERN’S PANGA WITH KABADDI ON HIS B’DAY!

During new experiences, the human mind often drifts to various analogues. For example, when watching baseball for the first time, cricket was an obvious comparison. But kabaddi stretched the limits of my imagination. After trying to decide whether it was an amalgamation of rugby and dodgeball, or martial arts and basketball, I decided that any comparisons were hopeless; what I was watching was unique.

Upon arriving in Calcutta, I was not even aware of the existence of kabaddi. My first encounter with the sport came when a journalist at t2 asked if I would like to go to a game between the local team, the Bengal Warriors, and U Mumba, an offer which I gleefully accepted. Within minutes of sitting down in the media section, and after taking photos with a Bengal Warriors flag, a journalist from another publication approached me. Perhaps he was hoping to document what might have been the Bengali Warriors’ first English fan. Alas I was a mere spectator, little more than a tourist anticipating his first glimpse of a thoroughly alien sport. 

The first thing that struck me about kabaddi was the physical prowess of each player. Possessing a blend of strength, speed, agility and balance this allowed for the deftest of manoeuvres, and the most powerful of tackles. Certainly the most exciting part of the game was when a player was tackled, and he desperately flung himself towards the midline in an attempt to steal the points for his team. When unsuccessful, this would often only be as a result of the combined force of the whole opposing team pinning him down — a battle of power against power, and an exhilarating viewing experience.

I’ll be sure to show kabaddi to my friends and family back home. Perhaps one day they too will be chanting ‘Singh is king’ from the sidelines. 

— Elliot Keck, 
a graduate of University of Birmingham and a t2 intern

He led a dramatic turnaround against Patna Pirates before the home leg began, becoming a fan-favourite. His raids saw Warriors overcome a 11-point half-time deficit to tie the game 36-all. A t2 chat with  young raider 
deepak narwal. 

What was going through your mind in that Patna game?

See our defence wasn’t clicking but the raiders were doing well. At half-time we all told each other that if we can give away so many points in the first 20 minutes, then we can take back the same in the next 20. In the second half, our defence and attack both started playing well. That match really brought us together and made us a very strong unit. 

How did kabaddi start?

I was always very good in studies. I did really well in Class XII and got 92 in math! But I’d grown up seeing Sonu Narwal, who’s from my village, and enjoyed celebrity status because of kabaddi. In my head, I thought, ‘Kabhi baraa aadmi banna hai’ and kabaddi was the only way.

How’s it like playing for Bengal?

Bahut achha. I thanked the management for having faith in me despite an ordinary outing in the last season. I didn’t expect any team to take me, but Bengal did. So I told them I won’t let them down. 

Our team looks set. We did win the first few games but we were making silly errors. Since the Patna game I think the team has started playing like one unit. We are one of the favourites because we have a great squad... all 18 players are great. 

Text: Rwitoban Deb
Pictures: B. Halder and Chanchal Ghosh