Pro Kabaddi League: Talented Iranian trio terrifies teams

Iranian trio of Abozar Mohajermighani, Mohsen Maghsoudloujafari and Farhad Rahimi Milaghardan form one of the most lethal right-sided defences in the competition. This talented triumvirate terrifies teams with top-notch text book tackles, but remains thirsty for more. While Mohsen and Farhad are with the Hyderabad-based team for the second year running, Abozar joined Titans after it shelled out a lot of cash for him at the 2018 Player Auction.

“We play together for the national team. Myself and Mohsen come from the same city (Gorgan) and represent it in the Iranian League. We keep practising there every day, be it for Iran or a domestic side. We know each other in and out, that is the secret to our success,” said Abozar about the comradeship with his fellow Iranians, in an exclusive chat with DT Next.

The three have contributed 62 points in the defensive department so far. With their home leg coming up in a couple of weeks’ time, the tally could well go past a ton easily. “We devise strategies before games, which others (in our team) find it difficult to understand. We mainly converse in Persian even on the mat. If Mohsen is going for a catch, he will know in the back of his mind that I will be there to support him. The same goes with Farhad as well,” added the 29-year-old.

Not only does Abozar assist his team mates with dashes and blocks during matches, but also acts as an interpreter during face-to-face interactions. As Mohsen and Farhad left us clueless with their replies in Persian, the reliable right corner came to our rescue.

Mohsen was sparingly used by former Titans coach Naveen Kumar in PKL 2017, but has become a regular starter under K Jag Mohan. On how he feels about getting featured regularly, the all-rounder stated, “It’s a really important season for us. I am happy to get good game time under my belt. We have a relaxed atmosphere in the dressing room, there is no tension or stress.”

Titans failed to clear the first round in PKL Season 5, but is capable of going all the way, according to Farhad. “Last season, things didn’t go according to plan because our defence was not good. For this edition, we have roped in a great defender in Abozar. We have the capacity to make it to the knockout phase and hopefully, we can be in the final.”

Asked about the quality Farhad and Mohsen bring to the table, stand-in captain Abozar responded, “Farhad was a raider initially. But, he is now doing well at the right cover position. Both can help us in different facets of the game, which is a really good thing to have.”