Pro Kabaddi 2022: 3 players Bengal Warriors should retain for PKL 9
Defending champions Bengal Warriors let the fans down with their performances in Pro Kabaddi 2022. The Kolkata-based franchise started the competition with back-to-back victories but lost momentum midway through the league stage. Ultimately, the Warriors were eliminated from the race to the playoffs.
The Warriors won nine out of their 22 matches in the league round. They finished in the bottom four because of the 10 defeats they suffered this season. The team management would be unhappy with the way the players performed, which is why they may consider releasing quite a few players.
However, some stars were good and should be retained going forward.
In this listicle, we will look at the three names the Bengal Warriors should not release ahead of the ninth Pro Kabaddi League season.
#3 Maninder Singh - Best player from Bengal Warriors in Pro Kabaddi 2022
Captain Maninder Singh led the Bengal Warriors from the front in the eighth Pro Kabaddi League season. However, he did not receive enough support from his teammates, especially the defenders. On many occasions, his teammates failed to revive him when he was sent to the bench.
Still, Maninder finished second on the raiders' leaderboard with 262 raid points from 22 matches. He played every game for the Warriors despite having some injury issues. The mighty raider emerged as a multi-point raid specialist for the Warriors.
Shedding some more light on his stats in PKL 2022, Maninder Singh registered 16 Super 10s in 22 matches. He executed 11 super raids and had an enviable average of 11.91 raid points per match. It will be a big mistake if the Bengal Warriors release Maninder ahead of the next season.
#2 Mohammad Nabibakhsh
Iranian all-rounder Mohammad Nabibakhsh could not set the 2022 Pro Kabaddi season on fire initially, but he returned to form in the final few games. His all-round brilliance played a vital role in the last two wins for the Bengal Warriors.
Nabibakhsh might have failed to perform well in some matches because he was away from the mat for such a long time. However, he eventually returned to form, which is why the team management should consider retaining him for the upcoming season.
Overall, the Iranian star scored 108 points in 20 matches and registered two super raids and two super tackles.
#1 Ran Singh
Despite joining the Bengal Warriors late on, Ran Singh emerged as one of the top defenders for the team. His arrival in the defense as a left corner defender was one of the main reasons why the Bengals managed to win a few games in the final phase of the league round.
Singh proved himself to be a utility all-rounder, scoring 38 points in 14 matches. His mighty back holds and crucial raid points ensured that Maninder Singh received some support from his teammates.
Thus, the Bengal Warriors should consider retaining these three stars and then build a fresh squad around them at the next Pro Kabaddi League auction.