PKL 11: 3 key players of Bengaluru Bulls in Pro Kabaddi League season 11

Bulls will seek a return to the playoffs this season.

Bengaluru Bulls has always been a team to watch out for. Although the mighty Bulls have only conquered the PKL Trophy once in 2018, their aura has always been of the conquerors. The Bulls have reached 6 playoffs out of 10 seasons. Moreover, three of these instances have come in the last four seasons, and it was season 10 in which they couldn’t make a mark. The big question for Bengaluru Bulls in season 11 will be whether they can re-claim the trophy after 4 seasons.

The Bengaluru Bulls have been pretty consistent in their performances. One of the reasons for that is their long-term coach. Randhir Singh Sehrawat is the only coach in the history of PKL to have coached a single team throughout the 11 seasons. Once again, Sehrawat has taken charge and created some new combinations in the season 11 auction. And he did make some interesting decisions including the one to buy Pardeep Narwal after his series of underwhelming seasons. On the other hand, the Bulls also included another fast-growing raider, Ajinkya Pawar, in their squad.

Although the Bulls have strengthened their raiding department, they might lack some power force in their defense. Except for the vice-captain, Saurabh Nandal, the defense does not have the experience one might expect. So, it will be interesting to see how Bengaluru Bulls’ defense paints out at the end of the season and how they use their defenders to get the best out of them.

Moreover, it will be a great opportunity for the young defenders to play under Nandal and showcase their potential, which might get India a new star defender. To bring back the trophy, the team has to put in a united effort, but here are the three key players who can change any tide if they get going.

Nitin Rawal

After missing season 10 due to injury, Nitin Rawal will return in PKL 11. Rawal will give the most required balance to the team with his all-round capabilities and can make a massive difference in the team’s performance. His contribution also becomes vital because of the comparatively inexperienced defense, Rawal’s quality defense will be much needed. The all-rounder has scored 94 tackle points in his PKL career along with 142 raid points, which makes him a crucial asset for the squad.

Saurabh Nandal

Saurabh Nandal will be leading the Bengaluru Bulls in PKL 11. Nandal has been a part of PKL since season 7 and has proved himself as a fabulous defender. And with the added responsibility of a vice-captain and the chief defender, his game will be tested at its best. In his four-year PKL career, Nandal has contributed to his teams with 246 tackle points in the 92 matches he played. In season 10, he scored 49 points with a successful tackle rate of 50%. Nandal’s experience, form, and leadership make him one of the key players on the squad.

Ajinkya Pawar

Bengaluru Bulls is going to be a raider-dominant team in PKL season 11. They have got some massive names like Pardeep Narwal. However, Ajinkya Pawar will be the one in focus as he has been the star raider for the last few seasons, whereas, on the other hand, Narwal has had a few underwhelming previous seasons.

The management also showed immense importance to Pawar in the auction when they bought the star raider for a whopping price of 1.107 crores, the highest bid by Bengaluru Bulls. Pawar scored 133 points in season 10 with 37% successful raids and has 454 raid points under his belt in his PKL career.

As far as raiders are concerned, the Bulls have a great backup of players like Sushil, Jai Bhagwan, Jatin, and Akshit, who have shown their potential and will be a good support to the likes of Ajinkya Pawar and Pardeep Narwal. Who can be the other key players for the Bulls in your opinion? Let us know your opinion in the comment section.

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