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PKL 6 champions Bengaluru Bulls have emerged as a dominant force, led by the 'Hi-Flyer' Pawan Sehrawat in the past two seasons.
Pawan has been a force to be reckoned with for the Bengaluru Bulls, scoring 617 raid points in Season 6 and 7 combined at an average of 12.85 raid points per game. He has taken the offensive command on his shoulders single-handedly.
The Bengaluru Bulls managed to make it to the playoffs in PKL 7 as well. However, their unstable defense, which leaked too many points, cost them their chance at clinching their second trophy as the Bengaluru Bulls ended their campaign as semi-finalists last season.
With Randhir Singh Sehrawat reinstated as the team's head coach, the Bengaluru Bulls retained their sensational raider Pawan Sehrawat and left corner defender Amit Sheoran as Elite Retained Players (ERP). Youngsters Mohit Sehrawat, Banty and Saurabh Nandal also remained in the side as their New Young Players (NYP).
Here's an in-depth look at the Bengaluru Bulls squad for PKL Season 8 through a SWOT analysis:
SWOT analysis of Bengaluru Bulls PKL 8 squad
Strengths
Bengaluru Bulls needed raiders who could provide proper support to Pawan Sehrawat at PKL Auction 2021. With the signing of Tamilnadu-based Chandran Ranjit (₹80 lakh) and the flamboyant Deepak Narwal (₹26.5 lakh), the team has built arguably the best raiding trio by any team this season.
Ranjit is an excellent support raider who has scored 271 raid points and five Super-10s in just the past two seasons. Moreover, Deepak Narwal is a talented do-or-die raider who can deliver consistently in the PKL. Both agile raiders are match-winners who can support Pawan Sehrawat well in the upcoming season.
The Bengaluru Bulls also got back the 'Bulldozer' Mahender Singh by exercising their FBM card at a bargain price of just ₹50 lakh. Mahender, who has been a vital cog in their defense since Season 5, will once again lead the tackles with his hard-hitting dashes and well-timed blocks in the upcoming eighth season.
Weaknesses
The Bengaluru Bulls conceded the highest number of points in their seventh season (855). Although the trio of Mahender Singh, Saurabh Nandal, and Amit Sheoran scored over 50 tackle points each, they couldn't work as a unit as their combination tackles were unsuccessful on many occasions.
The Bengaluru Bulls find themselves once again in the same spot, as they have opted to go with the same young defensive core of Season 7. The lack of an experienced defender in the ranks could prove to be troublesome for them in PKL 8, which could take a toll on them in close matches in the upcoming season.
The Bengaluru Bulls also lack a specialist all-rounder in their ranks for PKL 8. Given that the team requires someone to bring the side back into the game if the team suffers from a deficit, there is no one in the squad who can bail them out of clinical situations ahead.
It shows how the Bengaluru Bulls could be over-reliant upon the raiding prowess of Pawan Sehrawat once again.
Opportunities
The Bangalore-based franchise signed the highest number of overseas players (3) at the PKL Auction 2021: Ziaur Rahman, Dong Geon Lee, and Abolfazl Maghsodloumahali.
All three of them have established their reputation in the PKL as talented players. They could make the most out of the opportunities if given in the upcoming season.
Ziaur Rahman could be the first choice as the team's right cover in the upcoming season. Dong Geon Lee and Abolfazl Maghsodlou have depicted what they can bring to the table in the earlier seasons. It will be interesting to see how the team management uses their efficiency in PKL 8.
Moreover, the likes of Banty and More GB are talented raiders who can score points in do-or-die raids. Mohit Sehrawat, Ankit, Vikas, and Mayur Kadam are some of the names that could work well as replacements.
Threats
The Bengaluru Bulls were inconsistent in their performance as a whole last season, where they won a couple of matches on the trot and went on to lose several fixtures in a row later on.
They had just managed to enter into the playoffs as the team stood at the sixth position in PKL 7. Coach Randhir Sehrawat will have to make sure that this pattern doesn't repeat for them in PKL 8.
The entire squad will have to make sure they don't become over-reliant upon Pawan Sehrawat yet again. There could be less room for error for both the offensive and defensive units of the Bengaluru Bulls, as team management will have high hopes.
They will also make sure that Pawan Sehrawat gets to play freely in the eighth season.
