Parupalli Kashyap, Banga Beats’ icon player, feels the team’s recent victory over Awadhe Warriors in the Indian Badminton League is a “good lesson on how to handle pressure”.
“It is going to get tougher from here, but the win was a good lesson on how to handle pressure. It was high-voltage action at Lucknow, and the experience will help us in coming matches,” said Kashyap at the KBA courts here on Tuesday.
Asked about his team's chances against Pune Pistons on Friday, Kashyap said: “It will be a tight match. If you consider the rankings and calibre of the players, I would say we look quite strong.”
The 26-year-old admitted he had held misconceptions about some of the foreign players, which were set right after they crossed over to his side of the net.
“For example, at previous tournaments, Carsten Mogensen (of Denmark) came across as an aggressive person; a bit of a bully. We were scared of even talking to him. But, interacting with him, after he joined Banga Beats, I’ve found that he is actually quite soft-spoken.
“He has become quite close to us now, and he is an extremely funny guy.”
Carolina Marin, who upset the talented P.V. Sindhu at Lucknow, stated that with the right strategy, chief coach Vimal Kumar had got her “ready for Sindhu”.
Carolina says she prefers the IBL to the Danish League, where she now plies her trade after moving from Spain.
“The Danish League has some of the best European players, but the big crowds and the atmosphere in the IBL makes it better,” she said.