Lucknow, Aug. 26 -- For the last six seasons, star raider Surender Gill has become synonymous with UP Yoddhas. When he reflects on his journey, a striking emotion stands out - "Pro Kabaddi League has given me everything."

"All the fame and money have been the by-product of PKL. Everything I have earned in my life has come because of this league. But above all, it gave me UP Yoddhas, a team that feels like family," Gill said as quoted from a press release by PKL.

That bond with the Yoddhas is what fuels him today. Gill has lived the heartbreak of last season's semi-final exit, a match he says was decided by "one raid."

But instead of looking back, he looks forward and says, "There is no single mistake to blame. We know margins are thin,...