New Delhi, Oct 18 : Jaipur Pink Panthers' head coach Narender Redhu is delighted with the return of Nitin Kumar, who played a key role in his side's win, registering his eighth Super 10 of the season after returning from an injury.

Jaipur Pink Panthers returned to winning ways after their impressive performance against UP Yoddhas, prevailing 42-29 at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium on Friday.

Delighted with the return of his raider at this crucial stage of the tournament, the coach shared, 'We're happy to have Nitin back in the side. The entire team has been waiting for his return. We lost a few games which we might have won if he was in the side. However, we wanted him to recover fully before letting him back in the team. Today, it's a big boost to have him back ' in defence and offence.'

The head coach also credited Ali Samadi for stepping up to the plate in the absence of Nitin. He said, 'It's a team game. At moments when Nitin wasn't in the team, Ali (Samadi) shouldered the raiding responsibilities alone. Today, he also performed well.'

The Iranian registered his fourth Super 10 of the season in the win against the Yoddhas. Further elaborating on his raider's impressive performances in his debut season, Redhu reckoned that the league has found a new star. 'He's the new kid on the block. He's talented, fit, confident and has a great bonding with the team. He's worked hard throughout and hopefully, he can be fit and firing for Jaipur Pink Panthers in the future as well.'

'The league has found a new star in him. That's how kabaddi moves forward as a sport', he added.

Reflecting on his team's all-round performance, and especially the combination play between his two raiders, Redhu mentioned 'It was a brilliant team effort. The combination between Ali and Nitin was top notch for us today and even Parvinder contributed to the win. This is the performance we had been waiting for as a team.'

Nitin Kumar also credited Ali Samadi for his standout performances in his debut season. 'This is not an individual sport; it's a team sport. The team can only win if everyone gives their best. Ali has been exceptional for us. To do what he's doing in his debut season is sensational. Whenever we need support in certain situations, he steps up', Nitin said.

Looking ahead to the team's next challenge against Bengal Warriorz, Nitin said, 'We want to keep playing in this manner and give it our all in the upcoming matches. We'll plan for each opponent, and take it one game at a time.'

Echoing those sentiments while giving a bit of insight into how the team will plan to stop Bengal Warriorz captain Devank Dalal, Aryan Kumar concluded, 'The strategy will be to stop Devank as much as possible. He's the main raider of their team. He's at the peak of his powers. So, we'll follow the coach's plans and keep the defence tight whenever he's on the mat.'

Please find below, the previews for the PKL Season 12 matches on Saturday, October 18:

In the thick of the top four battle, Bengaluru Bulls will be up for a stern test against Dabang Delhi K.C. in the first game of the day. The young guns such as Alireza Mirzaian and Deepak Sankar will be leading the charge for the Bulls, when they go up against Dabang Delhi's experienced campaigners, including Ashu Malik and Fazel Atrachali.

After winning a string of games, Telugu Titans have lost two games on the bounce and are going through a bit of a stutter. Vijay Malik and Bharat Hooda have been exceptional for them this season, and the team will be counting on them to find their best form when they come up against the table-toppers, Puneri Paltan.

With Devank Dalal recording five 20+ point games this season, he single-handedly carried the Bengal Warriorz campaign this season. As their play-in hopes hang by a thread, their captain will once again need to step up when they take on Jaipur Pink Panthers dynamic raiding duo in Nitin Kumar and Ali Samadi.

/IANS