Interview: "Delighted that Mohit Chhillar and I are in the same team again," says Surender Nada

The Pro Kabaddi Season 5 is all set to start on July 28 and will feature a total of 12 teams after four new ones were added for this edition. Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh will be the four states where the new franchises will be based and all of them have picked up strong squads at the auction last month.

In defense for the Haryana side, who have been christened as the Steelers, will be Surender Nada, who was the priority pick for the JSW Group-owned side. He will man the left corner for his team with Mohit Chhillar on the other flank for the fifth season in a row.

He spoke to Sportskeeda in an exclusive interview, where he talked about the new seasons, his on-field chemistry with Mohit and which teams he rates as the most difficult to defeat. Here are a few excerpts!

You will be turning out for a new team this season. What are your expectations from Season 5 and what major challenges do you think you will face?

For the first time, there will be a team from Haryana in the Pro Kabaddi League. This season will be tougher since there are more teams and more matches to be played. Our aim is to reach the final and we will give our best to achieve it.

This season teams will have more youngsters, who have less experience in pressure situations. As seniors, it is our duty to make the youngsters feel welcome and help them gel in. It will take time to adjust but after the first one or two games, we will be able to start performing to our true potential hopefully.

How would you rate the other 11 teams in the league? Who do you think will be the toughest competitor?

All teams are evenly balanced, in my opinion, and the difference between the teams is marginal. I don’t see any outstanding team or one that has huge weaknesses. Puneri Paltan, U Mumba and Bengaluru Bulls have good sides but I think it’s hard to decide who will win beforehand.

Once again, you will be on the same team as Mohit Chhillar. What are your thoughts on that?

(laughs) I’m very happy that Mohit and I are in the same team. We had spoken to each other before the auction and were hoping that we would get a chance to be together once again. I thank God that we will play together in the PKL once again.

We have a set combination and our communication on the mat is very strong. We know each other’s game inside out and this way, we can cover for each other during the match and bring points to our team.

What do you think about the difference in the prices that we saw between raiders and defenders in the auction? Is it justified?

Yes, there is a gap between the bids for raiders and defenders but it’s understandable. Teams will value raiders more as they spend more time on the court during a match and can bring more points in a single raid. Our focus remains on doing our duties in defense and we hope our team will perform in the new season!