Should Bengaluru Bulls retain Randhir Singh Sehrawat as coach next season? PKL 10 season review

The season 6 champions lacked consistency and coordination throughout the season.

After a remarkable campaign in PKL 9, the tables turned completely for the Bengaluru Bulls in PKL 10. The Bulls went from being one of the best teams and finishing third in PKL 9 to not being able to make it past the group stages in PKL 10.

Bengaluru Bulls had a rough start to the season as they faced four back-to-back losses in their opening four games. And after that, it was more of a bumpy and inconsistent ride for the Bulls. They finished sixth on the table with 53 points to their name, including eight wins, 12 losses and two draws.

On that note, let us take a look at how the season unfolded for the PKL 6 champions.

Top performers

Bharat

Bharat was undoubtedly one of the most consistent performers for the Bulls. He was their highest points-getter as he accumulated a tally of 109 points in 18 matches. He has four Super 10s, and three super raids and averaged almost six raid points per match. Bharat had a success rate of 37% and a not-out rate of 69.12%.

Sushil

Sushil was the second-highest points scorer for the Bengaluru Bulls. The raider scored 100 raid points in 16 matches and is only the second player from the Bulls’ camp to touch the triple-digit mark. Sushi is undoubtedly one of the most improved players this season as he went from 17 points in PKL 9 to 100 points this season.

Surjeet Singh

Surjeet Singh stood like a wall in the heart of the Bengaluru Bulls’ backline. The right cover played a crucial role in helping the Bulls maintain a good defensive record. His synergy with skipper Saurabh Nandal was a key factor behind Bengaluru’s robust structure. The defender managed to gather 60 points, including a super raid.

Underperformer of the season

Vikas Kandola

Vikas Kandola failed to live up to everyone’s expectations as he could not bring out the best in him. The experienced raider was retained by the Bulls during the PKL 10 auction, but he was just not up to the mark. He was one of the best players in the league last season and scored 139 points, but only managed to gather 70 points this season. 

Special mentions

While a few players failed to live up to the hype, a few players emerged as the torch-bearers for Bengaluru Bulls moving forward. Akshit made his debut season count as he pulled off 61 points and averaged 6 points per match. Skipper Saurabh Nandal also had a decent campaign as he recorded 49 points in 21 matches.

Top performances

Haryana Steelers 39-53 Bengaluru Bulls

Bengaluru Bulls 32-30 Jaipur Pink Panthers

Bengaluru Bulls 35-33 Patna Pirates

Manager’s report card

Bengaluru Bulls’ head coach Randhir Singh Sehrawat is the only coach in the history of the PKL to be associated with the same franchise since the inception of the league. The manager is well aware of the dynamics of the league and has done a very commendable job with the Bulls over the years.

However, this season the Bulls failed to make it to the playoffs and suffered 12 losses under him. He has got his side out of such situations in the past and is expected to do the same in the upcoming season. Moreover, as always he has developed young players like Sushil and Akshit who will play a crucial role for the team in the future. 

Lessons to be learned

Bengaluru Bulls’ main strength this season was their defense, but their raiders were a disappointment. They need to learn from their mistakes and go back to the drawing board and make the necessary changes to bring in the right balance in the team. Moreover, they also need to develop a better and more reliable raiding department.

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