We have the strongest team this season, says Bengal Warriors’ skipper Maninder Singh

The star raider has been one of the top performers this season in PKL 9.

Bengal Warriors have been one of the teams of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 2022 who have been on and off the form. They went on to win three back-to-back matches after a loss in their opening game this season. However, since then, they have not been consistent performers. The Warriors so far have seven wins, five defeats and two ties. The Maninder Singh-captained side started the Hyderabad leg with a handsome win (36-28) over Telugu Titans.

They will hope to step up their game and ensure that they pick up crucial points in their upcoming matches and qualify for the playoffs. Khel Now spoke with Bengal Warrior skipper Maninder Singh on how the team is planning for further tournaments.

Speaking about the team's performance, Maninder said: “It is a tough tournament and we will have wins and losses. We did go through a couple of losses, but the win against (Dabang) Delhi was a boost to the confidence.”

He further added, “All the 11 opponent teams in the league are tough to defeat and we are focusing on all the teams equally. But I feel that we have the strongest team in the tournament.”

Maninder Singh has been Bengal Warriors' lead raider and is one of the top scorers in PKL 9. With nine Super 10s from 14 matches, and 122 successful raids, Maninder has picked up 160 points this season till now.

Despite the expectations on him, the Bengal Warriors' skipper says he is not under any pressure while he is on the mat. He said, “I don’t look at the number of points I have scored. I go along with the strategy of the team and the score automatically keeps increasing. Enjoying kabaddi without the pressure of captaincy is what I believe in.”

Maninder's Teammate Girish Ernak has been one of the top defenders in PKL 9. He is the lead defender of the Bengal Warriors and has the highest number of tackle points (40) for his team. Maninder feels that having a player like Girish in the team is very important. He said, “Girish is the one who guides and handles the team when I am off the mat on the bench. His experience of playing for many years has helped the team. He also guides me from time to time.”

Kashinathan Baskaran took over the coaching reins of Bengal Warriors this season. He has been focusing on the players to ensure an entry into the playoffs. Maninder Singh said that the coach has bonded very easily with all the players and does not get angry. “Bhaskaran sir focuses on the skills and that helps everyone. He gets easily bonded with the players. He doesn’t get angry very often and has a cool mind. During the match, he helps us make strategies and also listens to our suggestions.”

With the Asian Games coming up next year, Maninder talked about his dream to play for the Indian team. He said, “While there is no seat guaranteed for any player, I will try to do my best in the selection camp and try to secure my place in the Indian Kabaddi team with a good performance."