PKL 9 Home Leg: Bengaluru Bulls want more from Vikash Kandola

Bharat Naresh has been a pleasant surprise for the Randhir Singh Sehrawat coached team.

Bengaluru Bulls began PKL Season 9 with a home leg and currently sit in third place buoyed by their home support. four wins, two losses, and one tie show a run of positive results but also two big defeats. Bharat has been the standout performer, helping the Bulls come back from a substantial half-time deficit in their preceding two fixtures. The newcomer has been a pleasant surprise for the Bulls, easing some of the pressure off Vikash Kandola. Here is a review of their performance in the Bengaluru leg.

Results in PKL 9 Bengaluru Leg

• Match 1: Bengaluru Bulls 34-29 Telugu Titans

• Match 2: Puneri Paltan 39-41 Bengaluru Bulls

• Match 3: Bengaluru Bulls 33-42 Bengal Warriors

• Match 4: UP Yoddhas 44-37 Bengaluru Bulls

• Match 5: Bengaluru Bulls 45-28 Tamil Thalaivas

• Match 6: U Mumba 32-42 Bengaluru Bulls

• Match 7: Bengaluru Bulls 31-31 Patna Pirates

What worked and what did not

When the retentions were announced and Pawan Sehrawat was not named, it was evident that the Bulls are going to rebuild keeping their defence as the base. Saurabh Nandal, Aman, Mayur Kadam, Rajnesh, and Mahender Singh were all retained. The defence has looked unconvincing for large parts of a match before clicking when it matters most. Keeping the defensive unit consistent will be one of coach Randhir Singh Sehrawat’s goals as the league progresses. The tackle strike rate is at the lower half, with several key mistakes resulting in multi-point raids to the opposition proving to be a glaring weakness. While the right ingredients are there, the right cover position is weak. Both Mayur Kadam and Rajnesh have not been involved in initiating tackles.

Vikash Kandola was roped in for big money, but he has failed to match his raid-point average from previous seasons so far in PKL 9. Pawan’s boots are massive to fill and Vikash has so far let the magnitude of the responsibility weigh him down. His target should be to stitch together a few Super 10s in succession to get back to form. With two firing raiders, the Bulls will look like a much more well-rounded team.

Top Performer

Bharat Naresh has been their main man with 72 raid points from 60 successful raids and four Super 10s in seven matches. His effective raids have often been high-pressure ones, and Randhir Singh has unearthed another gem.

Saurabh Nandal has also impressed again at Right Corner, sitting in the third spot for most tackle points with 22.

Under Performer

Vikash Kandola has had a tendency of starting off matches in a meek fashion, before turning up his performance in the second half. He is now the second raider to Bharat. The Bengaluru Bulls have the most Successful Raids with 125, but Vikash Kandola has only contributed to 45 of those. He should hit his stride as the league progresses.

The Bulls will look to cement their place in the playoffs and they have some capable substitutes who can come in to change games. Mahender Singh has done well as captain, and for a team that is yet to reach its peak, a run of challenging fixtures without their passionate home fans will be a real test.