PKL Season 11: Gujarat Giants announce Neeraj Kumar as captain, launch new team jersey

New Delhi: The Adani Sportsline-owned Gujarat Giants announced Neeraj Kumar as the captain of the side with Guman Singh as the vice-captain for the upcoming season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL). Neeraj, who is not new to the role of captaining a side, had led the Patna Pirates in the previous year and is considered to be one of the talismanic figures in the squad. His journey in the PKL began in 2019, and he has played a total of 80 matches so far.

The defender has a not-out percentage of 88.64 and a tackle success rate of 38 percent. So far, he has earned 174 points in his career and is predominantly known for his defensive abilities. His first two seasons, saw him scoring plenty of points with 59 coming in Season 7 and 54 in the next.

Meanwhile, the ace raider Guman Singh also joined the PKL in the same year as Neeraj, in 2019, and has had quite a good run since. He has played 58 games and scored a total of 407 points, and averages just under 7 raid points per game.

Gujarat Giants, who are gunning for their first PKL title, have also launched their new jersey for this season. Dressed in their unmissable orange and red, the dynamic kit is a symbol of the passion for the sport within the Giants’ set-up.

In new jersey, the upward arrow symbolises growth. The arrows display the ambition to get better and progress forward. Not only that, the design adds a visually striking appeal to the jersey and is one that inspires players to reach scale newer heights.

The Orange and Red colours add perfect value to the Gujarat Giants, who strive to make a bold statement both on and off the field. The snazzy new jersey was revealed by the Adani Sportsline’s CBO, Sanjay Adesara, the head coach Ram Mehar Singh, and the captain Neeraj.

Speaking on the occasion, Neeraj said, "It is a great honour to be captaining the Gujarat Giants in this season of the PKL. The Giants family is a very close-knit unit, and we are hopeful of achieving newer things this year. Coach Ram Mehar has been working very hard with us in pre-season, and the Adani Sportsline team have also helped us in every possible way. We have a balanced and enthusiastic squad, and can’t wait to get onto the mat.

"Neeraj Kumar is a very powerful player and personality in Indian kabaddi, and I am sure his presence will add another dimension to our game. Neeraj and the rest of the squad are working very hard in pre-season, and the team is also very happy to have him as the skipper. I am confident we will do well this season, and I want to also thank the management for extending to us a tremendous amount of support,” said coach Ram Mehar Singh.