Converting penalty corners will be team's strength: Raghunath

Ace defender and drag-flicker V R Raghunath has said he is ready to dish out a sturdy performance and put up a good show in the upcoming Hero Hockey India League, commencing on January 22.
One of the top drag-flickers in the world, the Karnataka player led Uttar Pradesh Wizards twice and took the team to the semifinals of the previous two editions of HIL.
The Indian defender will continue his stint with the Lucknow-based franchise and plans to materialise maximum scoring opportunities through penalty corners.
"The League this time is going to be tough as the best players of the world will be featured in the League. The strength of our team will be the drag-flicking skills," Raghunath said.

The 26-year-old drag-flick specialist was the third in the list of the top goal scorers of both the previous two editions. Proving his worth and becoming a motivation to the defence line of Uttar Pradesh Wizards in the first season of the HIL, Raghunath scored a total number of nine goals where all the goals came from penalty corner conversions.
In the subsequent edition, he scored eight goals again from penalty corners.

As UP Wizards won their maximum matches through penalty corners, their team strategy will remain the same, earning the maximum penalty corners during the matches and convert them into goals.

Stating that he was excited to share the field with Harbir Singh, the Netherlands' Marcel Balkestein and Jolie Wouter, Raghunath said, "I look forward to the third season and aiming to improve our position by finishing on a winning note this time."
Uttar Pradesh Wizards will play their first match on January 23 against defending champions Delhi Waveriders in Lucknow.