Pro Kabaddi 2023: Bengal Warriors' all-time PKL 7
The Bengal Warriors are one of the eight teams present since the inception of the PKL, and are one of the six different winners, lifting the coveted title in PKL 7.
They have been a team that has blown hot and cold, making one playoff appearance in the first four seasons before registering a hat-trick of qualifications, capping it off with a win in season 7. However, their form has dipped in the last two seasons, which has seen them finish 9th and 11th.
The Warriors have had some PKL legends in their ranks, though. Let's look at their all-time 7 comprising these players.
Raiders - Maninder Singh, Jang-kun Lee, and Nitin Madane
The Bengal Warriors qualified for the playoffs only once in the first four seasons of PKL and had little going for them in terms of star players.
Nitin Madane was their best raider in season 1, and they couldn't really find someone as prolific a point-scorer as him until Maninder Singh came along in season 5. Nitin played for the Warriors in seasons 1 and 4, picking up 101 raid points in 12 matches in season 1 before picking up 51 points in season 4. He was part of a raiding trio that also included Monu Goyat and Jang-kun Lee.
Speaking of Jang-kun Lee, he is the best overseas player in PKL history not to come from Iran. The South Korean was a stable second raider for quite a while for the Warriors, picking up 415 points for them across six seasons (1-6). He is known for his ability to register multi-point raids and constantly helped the side revive the lead raider and help prevent all-outs.
Lastly, Maninder Singh is easily the best raider to wear a Bengal Warriors jersey and is one of the most successful ones in the league. He has been a Warriors player through and through since season 5, scoring 1107 raid points in the last five seasons, leading them to the title in PKL season 7.
Incidentally, he was the highest point-scorer for the Jaipur Pink Panthers in their title-winning PKL 1 campaign.
All-Rounders - Mohammad Nabibakhsh and Ran Singh
Mohammad Nabibakhsh made an instant impact on his arrival at the PKL in season 7, helping the Warriors win the title with an all-round effort. He scored 92 raid points and 30 tackle points.
He followed it up with a strong season 8 where he scored 108 total points before he was snapped up by the Puneri Paltan in the PKL 9 auction. Capable of producing the spectacular in the raiding department and a handy and versatile defender, Nabibakhsh is one of the top overseas players in the league.
If the former was a raiding all-rounder, the rock-solid Ran Singh offers more in the raiding department than in defense. He played for the Warriors in seasons 5 and 6, picking up 82 tackle points and 43 raid points in that period. While he prefers playing in the left corner, the versatility of Ran Singh meant he could fill in almost anywhere in defense.
Defenders - Surjeet Singh and Baldev Singh
PO Surjeet Singh is one of India's best right-cover defenders and was part of the contingent that won gold at the recently concluded Hangzhou Asian Games. He was also a part of the Bengal Warriors' side in seasons 5 and 6.
He had a terrific PKL season 5, finishing as the second-highest point-scoring defender with 76 points in 23 matches. Despite a slump, he added a respectable 54 tackle points to his tally in season 6. He's set to play for the Bengaluru Bulls in season 10 after stints with the Tamil Thalaivas and the Telugu Titans.
The last player on the team is right-corner Baldev Singh. He played for the Warriors in PKL 6 and 7 and was an integral part of their title charge in PKL 7, finishing as the side's best defender. He picked up 66 tackle points. He then moved to the Puneri Paltan in season 8 before representing the Gujarat Giants in the most recent edition of PKL.