PKL 11: Whenever Maninder Singh plays we have chance to win, says Fazel Atrachali

Bengal Warriorz lost eight consecutive matches in PKL 11.

The Gujarat Giants clinched a thrilling 39-37 victory over Bengal Warriorz in a closely contested Pro Kabaddi 2024 (PKL 11) match at the Noida Indoor Stadium on Wednesday.

Speaking to the media, Bengal Warriorz captain Fazel Atrachali and coach, followed by Gujarat Giants’ Guman Singh and coach shared their thoughts on the PKL 11 match.

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On Maninder Singh’s impact and performance

This win marked Gujarat’s third victory in their last five games, showcasing a resurgence in form. Guman Singh’s Super 10 proved decisive, while Bengal’s Maninder Singh also achieved a Super 10, and Nitesh Kumar completed a Hi-5 for the Warriorz.

“Maninder is a star raider. He had a little injury so we had to rest him, but he will play the next match and bring points for us like he does, ” said Bengal Warriorz coach

“Like I said earlier. Mani is our star player. He suffered some injury, so he didn’t play and things were not so good for us. As I have said, we always have a chance whenever he plays,” added Fazel Atrachali.

On the team’s performance

The match began explosively, with Guman Singh’s Super Raid giving Gujarat an early four-point lead. Bengal quickly fought back, levelling the scores at six-all through contributions from Fazel Atrachali and Nitin Kumar.

“Tonight our team actually played well. They played according to the plan we made and for 38 minutes we stuck to it. But the last couple of minutes some young player made some mistakes and it went to a loss,” revealed the captain.

On facing Patna Pirates next in PKL 11

The Giants regained momentum with Himanshu Singh’s Do-or-Die Raid, but Bengal retaliated with an ALL OUT to lead 20-19 at halftime. Bengal Warriorz will now go on to face three-time champions Patna Pirates next in PKL 11.

“You know Patna is a very good team and I think Patna is one of the teams who have a chance to reach the finals. If our raiders and defenders play like they did today then we will have a fighting chance against Patna,” said Fazel.

On Gujarat Giant’s PKL 11 playoff hopes

The second half saw intense back-and-forth action as both teams exchanged leads. Nitesh Kumar’s defensive brilliance and Maninder Singh’s raids gave Bengal a narrow advantage. However, a crucial Super Tackle by Gujarat shifted the tide, and Guman Singh’s late heroics sealed the win. His final raid inflicted an ALL OUT, securing the Giants’ narrow two-point victory and keeping their PKL 11 playoff hopes alive.

“We still have nine matches to go. But we are more focused on taking one match at a time. We are not thinking about qualifying right now. We are playing for our reputation and we want to give our best and win the match, ” said the Gujarat Giants coach.

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