PKL 12: What could be Bengal Warriorz's auction strategy?

Bengal Warriorz finished 10th last season in the points table.

After the Pro Kabaddi League season 11 auction, most people considered Bengal Warriorz to be the favourites for the title. Given the number of star players they had acquired, qualifying for the playoffs seemed like a mere formality.

However, what followed was a shocker of a season. The team couldn’t click together. Bengal veteran Maninder Singh was troubled by injuries and subsequent poor form.

Fazel Atrachali didn’t find much support in defence, while Nitesh Kumar’s downward trajectory seemed to continue. As a result, the season seven champions finished tenth on the points table, having played out five wins, fourteen losses, and three ties.

The team has chosen to press the reset button. They parted ways with head coach Prashant Surve and appointed former Indian Navy and Sports Authority of India team coach Naveen Kumar. They retained only five players for the upcoming season. Thus, they will have a lot of work to do at the auction, which will be held on May 31 and June 1.

What are the things they would like to address? Here is their possible auction strategy:

Also Read: PKL 12: List of players released, retained by Bengal Warriorz ahead of auction

Avoid spending heavily on one raider

With several marquee names like Arjun Deshwal, Pawan Sehrawat, Ashu Malik, Naveen Kumar, and Devank Dalal set to be up for grabs, there might be a temptation to splurge and buy one of them. However, the Warriorz would be better served if they considered acquiring relatively less prominent names.

Firstly, they should use the Final Bid Match (FBM) card to bring back Nitin Dhankar to the team. He has clearly shown that he can lead the raiding unit. After this, they can choose Guman Singh, Akash Shinde, or Sachin Tanwar.

With Vishwas and Sushil Kambrekar retained, a mix of four young and potent raiders can be a handful for any team. It is worth mentioning here, though it might break the hearts of many Warriorz fans, that the management will have to look beyond Maninder Singh. With age having caught up with the second-most prolific raider in the league’s history, he might not be able to create the same impact anymore.

Also Read: PKL 12: Bengal Warriorz appoint Naveen Kumar as new head coach

Try to get Fazel back

The Warriorz have picked up a few defenders as New Young Players. However, they could all be backups for the respective positions. As far as the defence is concerned, they will have to do a lot of shopping.

Firstly, they should look to use the FBM to get Fazel Atrachali back. The Sultan is no longer the defender of yesteryears, but has enough remaining in his tank. With his experience and calm demeanor, he can also be their skipper for the second consecutive season. They can also try bidding for Mohammadreza Shadloui, who provides an all-round option. Other options include Ankush and Nitin Rawal.

Splurge on a right corner

They can also use an FBM to get Mayur Kadam back. The right cover put on several good performances last time and can be backed for one more season. The season seven champions might still have enough to spend extravagantly on a right corner. Yogesh could be their first-choice pick, followed by Rinku, Krishan Dhull, and Sourabh Nandal.

If they don’t get either of them, they can opt for Sanket Sawant or Gurdeep for left cover, they can opt for Sanket Sawant or Gurdeep in the left cover position. In case of sufficient funds, they can opt for Parvesh Bhainswal, whose price has declined in the last few years.

Thus, the Warriorz can look to build a defense-heavy squad this time, complemented by a young raiding unit. This is a tried and tested formula, as demonstrated by defending champions Haryana Steelers. Will the Bengal Warriorz be able to build a team from scratch? Coach Naveen would be hoping to do so.

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