Analyzing Bengaluru Bulls squad ahead of Pro Kabaddi League season 8

The winners of season 6 could struggle without Rohit Kumar in the upcoming season.

The Pro Kabaddi League season 8 is soon going to start amidst huge expectations. India’s premier kabaddi competition is back after a long period and the teams are raring to go when the action begins. The auction before the upcoming season recently took place where there were a lot of notable signings. Participating teams went all out in securing their desired players according to their gameplans and ambitions.

As it happens, some teams got what they were looking for while others missed out on their targets. Following the auction, there is a clear picture of what the teams and their composition will look like.

The PKL season 6 winners, Bengaluru Bulls have a good squad and they will hope to add another title to their record. Here is a squad analysis of the outfit ahead of the upcoming season of the PKL.

Strengths

Pawan Sehrawat's presence

Pawan Sehrawat has been a consistent performer in the PKL for Bengaluru Bulls and has established himself as one of the best individual players. He scored the most points in the sixth season (282). He also holds the record for scoring the most number of points (39) in a single match. Sehrawat was also the second player to score 300 points in season 7. 

The raider has the capacity to win games single-handedly and will be hoping to guide the Bulls to a second championship triumph. He scored 22 points in the final of the sixth season to help his team to victory. Bengaluru Bulls will hope that Sehrawat can replicate his performance from the past.

Depth in the raiding department

Pawan Sehrawat will have good support in the raiding department at Bengaluru Bulls. Players like GB More, Dong Geon Lee, Deepak Narwal, Chandran Ranjit and Banty will assist Sehrawat in getting points. Chandran Ranjit is one of the figures among the raiders who has a lot of experience under his belt and could be a great option. He had a great first season while playing for Dabang Delhi where he played alongside Naveen Kumar.

Ranjit has 328 points in 64 matches and has nine super raids on his record. He is great at collecting points on a consistent basis, thereby relieving the main raider of pressure. Ranjit will be vital next season for the Bengaluru Bulls as his performance will elevate Sehrawat’s performance as well. 

Eyes will also be on GB More who has scored 193 points in 47 games. He a great defender as well with 40 tackle points under his belt. He also has five super tackles, thereby acting almost as an all-rounder in the team. His presence provides a great overall balance to the squad.

Furthermore, players like Deepak Narwal and Dong Geon Lee could prove to be vital for Bengaluru Bulls. Narwal was part of Jaipur Pink Panthers last season. He is known for his running hand touch technique and likes to trick the defenders. The player scored 19 points in as many games and will hope to assist the main raider in a better capacity next season.

Weaknesses

Rohit Kumar’s absence

Rohit Kumar captained the Bengaluru Bulls to a title win in the sixth season of the PKL. The former skipper has joined the Telugu Titans. His absence would certainly have a major impact on the overall performance of the team. Rohit scored 171 points in 24 fixtures during PKL 2018. Later in 2019, he managed 100 points in 19 fixtures.

Rohit helped the team lift the PKL title and knew the inner workings well. The gap left by his departure could derail Bengaluru Bulls in the upcoming season. The management will need to think carefully and find a replacement for the outgoing skipper.

Defence could be the weak link

Bengaluru Bulls’ raiding and defending departments are in contrast to one another. While the former is strong, the latter could cause untoward damage to their ambitions. Players like Mahender Singh, Amit Sheoran and Saurabh Nandal constitute the defence. However, their performance in the PKL is not very impressive. Amit has recorded 88 points in 43 matches while Saurabh has 56 points in 23 matches.

Mahender Singh will shoulder most responsibility in the Bengaluru Bulls defence. His performance last season was rather impressive as the defender scored 61 points in 21 games. He will provide good cover on the left but there are concerns on the right cover. Mahender will hope to inspire his fellow members in defence to raise the bar when the next season comes calling.

Team

Raiders: Abolfazl Maghsodloumahali, Banty, Chandran Ranjit, Deepak Narwal, Dong Geon Lee, GB More, Pawan Sehrawat.

Defenders: Mayur Kadam, Mohit Sehrawat, Mahender Singh, Ziaur Rahman, Saurabh Nandal, Amit Sheoran, Ankit, Vikas

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