Pro Kabaddi 2023: 5 Bengal Warriors' players to watch out for in PKL 10 ft. Maninder Singh & Nitin Rawal
Champions of PKL Season 7, Bengal Warriors had a poor run in the last edition. They finished eleventh in the league stage out of 12 teams.
The Bengal franchise could manage only eight wins, gathering 53 points. They will want to put the dismal outing behind them and enter the 10th season with a positive mindset.
The Bengal Warriors have an extremely capable squad. As they look for their second PKL title, here is a look at five players from the Warriors' setup to watch out for.
#5 Vaibhav Garje
Vaibhav Garje was among the top defenders for the Bengal Warriors last time out. He is among the four Existing New Young Players in the side and was retained ahead of the Season 10 Auction.
The right cover picked up 30 tackle points from 18 matches, showing promise in his debut PKL season last year.
The youngster will be keen to build on his showing from the previous season. Garje will also be expected to assist Shubham in the defense as the Warriors eye a comeback after a disappointing PKL 9 campaign.
#4 Shubham Shinde
Shubham Shinde emerged as the top defender for the Bengal Warriors last season. The right-corner scored 43 tackle points from 20 matches. He picked up four Super Tackles as well.
He is expected to lead the defensive unit for the Bengal Warriors in the upcoming season. A lot will be expected of him and Shubham will be keen to put up an even better display.
#3 Nitin Rawal
All-rounder Nitin Rawal can prove to be a vital addition for the Bengal Warriors this season. Rawal had a below-par Season 9, bagging only 44 points for Haryana.
However, he also comes with good PKL experience, having played 81 matches, scoring 142 raid points, and 94 tackle points.
His role will be crucial, both as a support raider and as a defender in the side. The Bengal Warriors will bank on his all-round abilities.
#2 Shrikant Jadhav
While Maninder once again proved his mettle last season, Shrikant Jadhav complemented him very well. He picked up 123 raid points from 21 matches.
Shrikant also carries great experience with 120 PKL matches and 607 raid points under his belt. He was also brought back by the Warriors through the FBM card after being released earlier.
Jadhav and Maninder are the senior pros on the side. They will have to shoulder the responsibility of raiding once again this season.
#1 Maninder Singh
The Bengal Warriors released Maninder Singh ahead of the PKL Season 10 Auction. However, as expected, they used their FBM card to bring the star raider back into the side.
Maninder was their best performer last season. He was the fifth-best raider with a staggering 238 raid points with an average of 11.33 raid points per match. This also included 11 Super Raids and 14 Super 10s.
Maninder has been one of the most consistent performers in the history of PKL. He brings in a vast amount of experience, having played 122 matches and accumulated 1231 raid points.
The Warriors will require Maninder Singh to lead from the front this season.