PKL 11 Season Review: Should Bengal Warriorz retain inexperienced Prashant Surve as coach for next season?

Bengal Warriorz finished 10th in PKL 11.

Bengal Warriorz had a season to forget on the mat despite having some good buys at the auction. They were touted as one of the favorites for the Pro Kabaddi League season 11 having bought the experienced defenders to partner along with the young raiding legs.

This season, the Bengal raiders lacked form as well as fitness. That’s why they kept getting injured one after another. Their mightiest Maninder always had an injury cloud over him. Bengal’s last season hero Nitin Dhankar started the season well but an injury mid-season ruled him out. Vishwas and Pranay Rane were used sparsely as they kept going in and out of the team.

Their defenders had a wealth of experience but they couldn’t translate it on the mat. With this and much more, let’s look at how the PKL 11 unfolded for the season seven champions.

Also Read: PKL 11 Season Review: Over-reliance on Arjun Deshwal sink Jaipur Pink Panthers

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Top Performers:

Nitesh Kumar

It was a surprise when UP Yoddhas did not retain Nitesh Kumar. Bengal Warriorz let go of Shubham Shinde and Nitish came in his place and performed very well. The 25-year-old was rock solid throughout the season for the season seven champions.

Playing without the pressure of captaincy helped Nitesh to go for all-out attacks against the raider. The defence suffered due to the lack of support from the cover defenders. Warriorz will be keen to build the team around Nitesh for the next season.

Nitin Dhankar

Nitin Kumar Dhankar was retained ahead of the season. The right raider started brilliantly with the Super 10 in the first game against Jaipur Pink Panthers. Despite a lack of support from other Raiders, he was carrying the team on his own.

His support cast kept changing with Maninder Singh, Vishwas S, Sushil Kambrekar, and Pranay Rane coming in different combinations. Nitin bows out with a shoulder injury at the end of the Noida leg. With 118 points from 14 points, he was the top-scorer for Bengal this season.

Also Read: PKL 11 Season Review: Did Randhir Singh fail to buy right players for Bengaluru Bulls at auction?

Special Mentions

At the start of the season, the PKL fans were waiting to see Arjun Rathi, the highest paid from the New Young Player category in the auction. But the Warriorz started the season with Sushil Kambrekar, whose quickness surprised most defenders.

Bengal had tough games in the first leg but they won two, tied two games, and lost three. In the three games they lost, they went home with a single point losing with a margin of less than 7 points. Sushil played a key role in the limited opportunities and if he had stayed fit, he would have contributed more.

Top Performances:

Haryana Steelers 32 – 39 Bengal Warriorz, Match 92

Bengal Warriorz 32 – 29 UP Yoddhas, Match 13

Bengal Warriorz 40 – 38 Haryana Steelers, Match 31

Coach’s Report Card – Prashant Surve

It is unlikely that the management will retain Prashant Surve as a coach for the next season. The main reason is that he failed to bring the team together. They kept changing their strategies and apart from the corner duo, none of the players played more than 15 games.

The constant chopping and changing meant that players’ confidence took a hit and they succumbed to pressure. Furthermore, it seemed like they had no Plan B as they looked helpless in most of the matches. When going gets tough, it was the role of the coach to back his players which Prasanth failed to do during midseason as they lost all games in the Noida leg.

Lessons to be learned

After missing the playoff opportunity a long time ago, they gave more opportunities to the youngsters. A strategy Jasveer Singh adopted for UP Yoddhas last season which unearthed the likes of Gagana Gowda and Hitesh, who have played pivotal roles this season.

Arjun Rathi, who came in with a lot of promise played only four games as team management missed the trick to put the youngsters in real-match situations. Also, more than the names, the focus should be more on the fitness of the players The season seven champions surprised everyone having unleashed a new talent in Sushil Kambrekar. But he fell prey to injury after seven games.

Fans’ View

As a Bengal Warriorz fan, the presence of Fazel Atrachali, Nitesh Kumar, and Maninder Singh in the team had raised great expectations for the season. But if the players are not fit then they will not be able to live up to the expectations. Teams that have moved away from the big names and have concentrated on talent combined with fitness have succeeded. Patna Pirates is a classic example of this success strategy.

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