"The defense combination will be good" - Shubham Shinde confident about Bengal Warriors' Pro Kabaddi 2023 chances [Exclusive]

Right corner defender Shubham Shinde will be playing his fifth season in the Pro Kabaddi League this year, with his best performance so far coming for the Capri Sports-owned Bengal Warriors in the previous edition.

He has had various partners in the left corner over the years, but with Asian Games Gold-winning Nitin Rawal joining the Warriors, Shubham will be eager to make a mark this season along with some good support from the left.

With a vicious ankle hold, Shubham will be looking forward to garnering lots of points this season, although he will need to keep an eye on his strike rate as well. Despite having a good season last year, his strike rate was below 50%, meaning that fewer than one in every two attempts were successful.

Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Shubham Shinde opened up on a variety of topics, including his eagerness to have a good season, the NYPs of the side, and what the team does for their mental well-being.

"I am very happy to be back with Bengal Warriors. There's a lot of Maharashtrian boys here so I am very happy to get to play with them once again this season. The defense combination will be good," Shubham Shinde said.

Shubham asserted that despite not having a big-name player in the left cover, that position will not be a chink in the armor for the Warriors. He named a few NYPs, including Shreyas Umbardand, Vaibhav Garje and Aditya Shinde, as defenders to watch out for.

"The left cover position is definitely not weak this time - all players are playing very well," Shinde assured.

"We've got NYPs and they are shaping-up really well ahead of the season. From NYPs, Shreyas, Vaibhav and Aditya Shinde are there who can defend well."

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"I like tackling big-name players" - Shubham Shinde has his eyes set on tackling PKL superstars

As Shubham Shinde is gearing up for another season with the Bengal Warriors, he reveals that he particularly enjoys tackling some of the big names in the league. He went on to speak about how he has a personal milestone set for himself but will want the team to do well.

"All teams are really good. I have not planned for any particular raider as such. I like tackling big-name players," he revealed.

"I have kept a personal milestone but first and foremost, team should do well and should go to the playoffs."

The 24-year-old defender divulged that the players immerse themselves in swimming and playing volleyball to relax. Fitness is of utmost importance for Shinde as he looks to have an injury-free Pro Kabaddi 2023.

"To relax, we go swimming. We play games, usually volleyball. I enjoy swimming the most as it helps recovery as well," Shubham Shinde said.

"It is a big season and remaining fit is absolutely necessary. I am doing a lot of exercising, some extra work out as well. We do meditation for mental health."