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Much like last year, the Bengal Warriors failed to reach the playoffs in the Pro Kabaddi League 2023-24 season. They finished the season in seventh spot, securing only nine wins in 22 matches. The Warriors lost 11 matches this season, while two games resulted in ties.
Bengal Warriors started the season on a wonderful note but the hammering received from the Puneri Paltans, which was also their first defeat of the season, led to their downfall.
Skipper Maninder Singh ended the season with the fourth-most number of raid points - 197. However, his performance alone wasn’t enough to guide the team through to the playoffs.
In this article, we take a look at three reasons why the Bengal Warriors failed to reach the playoffs in the 2023-24 PKL season:
#1 Akshay Bodake’s injury proved to be a big blow
Ahead of the start of the PKL 2023-24 season, the Bengal Warriors dealt with a big blow as their left-cover defender Akshay Bodake suffered an injury and was ruled out of the season.
Unfortunately, Bengal didn’t have great replacement options and it impacted their performance. Throughout the season, they kept chopping and changing on the left side of the defense and it caused them problems.
#2 Losing games in cluster
Bengal Warriors began the campaign on a brilliant note, winning three out of their first four matches, while one game ended in a tie. However, in their fifth game, Puneri Paltans crushed them with a scoreline of 49-19 which dented their confidence.
The Warriors couldn’t earn a single win in six straight games, which affected their standing on the points table. They fought back with a few wins but it was followed by another series of defeats.
Losing games in a cluster didn’t help their cause and despite putting in their best efforts, Bengal couldn’t make it into the playoffs.
#3 Weak left side of the defense
Bengal Warriors had two well-known names on the right side of the defense - Vaibhav Garje and Shubham Shinde. Both are experienced campaigners and played their part to perfection.
However, the Warriors couldn’t generate similar strength on the left side of their defense. Perhaps, there weren’t enough options at their disposal. They spent ₹2.12 crore to bag the services of Mandeep Singh and that decision proved a bit costly in the end.
