"I am ready for it" - Ayan Lohchab shares his views on captaincy after Pro Kabaddi 2025 [Exclusive]

Star Patna Pirates raider Ayan Lohchab shared his views on captaincy after Pro Kabaddi 2025. The Pirates lost against the Telugu Titans in Eliminator 3. Nonetheless, it was a memorable campaign for them.

From being at the bottom of the table, they won five consecutive games and made it to the Playoffs. Further, they won three back-to-back games to enter Eliminator 3. Unfortunately, their campaign ended as they fell two matches short of making the final.

Ayan Lohchab had a stellar season. He ended as the top raider with 316 raid points from 22 games at an average of 14.36 with 16 Super 10s. Notably, he also led the Pirates in a couple of matches against the Bengaluru Bulls and Jaipur Pink Panthers.

In an exclusive conversation with Sportskeeda, he opened up on his experience as a captain. He also added that he was ready for captaincy in given the opportunity in the future.

"I was a captain in two matches against the Bulls and Jaipur. I felt good as a captain. I got to know a bit more about how to play as a captain. The coach told me a bit about it. I told him a bit. I felt good. I am ready to captain if I get it. It will help me learn more. I am ready for it," he said.

Ankit Jaglan led the side this season. Ayan Lohchab hailed him for his captaincy and the way he kept them motivated even when the chips were down. He added that Ankit held the team together.

"The captain was very good. When we were down, he told us to keep motivating the team and gave us a lot of confidence. He told that winning and losing is a part but he asked us to play our game and told that we would win. He told us not to worry and motivated us a lot."

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Ayan Lohchab picks three teammates who impressed him this season

In the same conversation, Ayan Lohchab also named three of his teammates who performed well and impressed him. He named captain Ankit, along with Deepak and Navdeep.

"Navdeep, Ankit and Deepak have done well. Ankit has helped me a lot. When I was sitting outside, it was very difficult for me to come back but these guys did well," he said.

Skipper Ankit played a key role, scoring 51 tackle points, while Deepak played a supporting hand with 33 tackle points. Navdeep was the star performer in the defense. He ended as the top defender of the league with 73 tackle points and six High 5s.

Edited by Rishab Vm