"Never thought of playing for anyone other than Bengal Warriors" - Maninder Singh expresses adulation for his team ahead of PKL 11
In a heartfelt conversation with Sportskeeda, one of Bengal Warriors' ace players Maninder Singh, opened up on what this team means to him. Maninder made his debut for the Warriors in Season 5 of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) and has since been representing the team.
Though he was not retained in the last two seasons, Bengal bought him back at the auctions on both occasions. At the PKL 11 auctions, the team used the FBM to retain Singh for INR 1.15 crore. The 34-year-old expressed what his association with the team has been like so far.
"I am extremely happy as Bengal Warriors feels like home. This team has always made me feel immense confidence in my ability. They know what I need and dont need. I have never thought of playing for any other team than Bengal," he said.
Maninder Singh also shared the thought that went behind the decision of him not being retained. He divulged that it was a mutual call taken between him and the coach, Prashant Surve, as the intention was to go into the auction with a decent budget.
"I and the coach discussed and our planning was to not retain me as that would significantly constrain our budget. Thus, we chose to use the FBM card on me and retain the likes of Nitin and other youngsters. As a result, we have managed to build a strong team," he said.
"It is a challenge when you have to raid and also lead the team" - Maninder Singh talks about his journey as Bengal Warriors captain
Maninder Singh captained the Bengal Warriors in the last few seasons of the PKL. However, the veteran is not leading the side this season. With the Bengal Warriors naming Fazel Atrachali as their new skipper, Maninder is happy not carrying the responsibility. He has instead offered his complete support to Fazel.
"It is a challenge when you have to raid and also lead the team. When a raider is in charge and gets out, the team feels alone on the mat. I had already told Fazel Atrachali that you will be our captain and we will stand by you," Maninder expressed.
The Punjab-born player feels that he can play with much more freedom and express himself now that Fazel is at the helm. For Maninder Singh, the burden of captaincy not being on his shoulders would mean he is a lot less 'tense' out in the middle.
"With Fazel taking care of the side, such problems won't arise. I will be able to focus on my task better. I will not be as tense and can play a lot more freely as I used to before," he concluded.