PKL 11 team profile: Bengal Warriorz strengths & weaknesses

The balance of the team looks very good this time.

Bengal Warriorz have changed their name from Warriors to Warriorz. This may seem like a negligible change but if you look at the names in their squad then one might agree to the fact that they have built one of the strongest teams ahead of season 11 of the Pro Kabaddi League.

Although, it was widely known that they would use the FBM (Final Bid Match) card to buy Maninder Singh again. Also they hit the biggest jackpot in the auction by signing Fazel Atrachali for just Rs 50 lakh. Their paddles are raised for the likes of Nitesh Kumar and Mayur Kadam who add more strength to their defense.

They have a balanced team, which is why they are considered one of the strong contenders to win the title this season. On that note, let’s analyze the Bengal Warriorz squad to identify their strengths and weaknesses in PKL 11.

Strengths:

Any team that has Fazel Atachali at the left corner will have a defense that can challenge any team. Such is the reputation of the Iranian who has been appointed as the skipper of the franchise over the franchise’s veteran Maninder Singh. The league’s most successful defender was the surprise pick of the Auction as he was bought for a mere 50 lakhs.

Fazel will be joined by Nitesh Kumar, the first defender to score 100 points in a season, for the right corner position. The cover roles will be filled by Shreyas Umbardand and Vaibhav Garje. Prasanth Surve, the new head coach, will have more alternatives as quality players like Mayur Kadam and Aditya Shinde can make it to the starting seven, making their defense one of the strongest in the league.

Weaknesses:

While defenders are important to any team, the Raiders play a pivotal role in a team winning the game as they have the opportunity to score multiple points in a single raid. It may not be the case with defense as a successful tackle will fetch the team one point and two in case of a super tackle. Multiple touches, bonus points, and self-outs are some of the ways a Raider could score a point.

Teams generally have multiple Raiders to keep the attack on and score multiple points. While Bengal has Maninder as their primary raider, they seem to lack a strong name in the secondary raider department. Nitin and Vishwas did a decent job last season but it wasn’t strong enough to threaten the opposition as Bengal struggled in most of the games. They have also acquired a few unknown names who seem to be promising but they have to deliver at the big stage or else Mani will be fighting a lone battle.

Opportunities:

The inexperienced raiding unit presents a great opportunity for youngsters to show their mettle at the grandest stage of franchise leagues in Kabaddi. One name will be the focus point every time Bengal Warriorz plays in season 11. The 22-year-old Arjun Rathi topped the headlines on day two of the auctions as he was bought for a whopping 41 lakhs after a fierce bidding war.

Right from his Yuva Kabaddi Series when his team lost all matches in the league despite his 80% raid strike rate with 17.55 average points per match. He continued to impress in the following seasons scoring 595 points in 53 games. Every season throws a new champion and many expect Arjun Rathi to be one of the newbies to shine in the league.

Threats:

Maninder Singh has been one of the top performers of the league in the decade history of the league. From being part of the inaugural season triumph of Jaipur Pink Panthers to becoming the mainstay of Bengal Warriorz leading them to a title in season seven without playing in the finals, the mighty Mani has been one of the best raiders of the leagues.

With 264 points in season eight, 240 in season nine, and 198 points in season 10 his scores have seen a downward curve in the last few seasons. The second-most successful raider in the history of the league might be in the second half of the career but the 34-year-old must pull his socks up and deliver goods for his team. The Warriorz would be wary of the downward curve and would want to break with an impressive season.

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