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Defending champions Bengal Warriors will open their Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 2021 campaign against the Nitesh Kumar-led UP Yoddha team on the evening of December 22.
The Kolkata-based franchise won their maiden Pro Kabaddi League championship in 2019 by beating Dabang Delhi KC in the final. Ahead of the eighth season, the Bengal Warriors retained big names like Maninder Singh, Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh and Rinku Narwal from their PKL 7 squad.
At the Pro Kabaddi League 2021 auction, the defending champions acquired the services of some experienced names as well as youngsters. As the Warriors prepare to hit the mat in PKL 8, here's a look at their predicted playing seven.
Left Corner - Rinku Narwal
As mentioned ahead, Bengal Warriors retained their left-corner defender Rinku Narwal ahead of the PKL Auction 2021. Narwal was fantastic for the Kolkata-based franchise in 2019, scoring 64 tackle points from 23 matches.
Rinku missed out on the Best Defender award last season, but will be keen to win the prize this year.
Left In - Maninder Singh (Bengal Warriors captain)
The Bengal Warriors retained their captain Maninder Singh ahead of the PKL Auction 2021. Singh was instrumental in Bengal winning their maiden championship last season.
The Indian star scored 205 raid points in 20 matches. Maninder missed some crucial games due to injury in PKL 2019. He will now look forward to maintaining his fitness and playing the full PKL 2021 season.
Left Cover - Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh
Iranian all-rounder Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh was one of the biggest match-winners for the franchise in PKL 2019. Playing in his first PKL season, Nabibakhsh scored 92 raid points and 30 tackle points.
He was one of the few players to score a Super 10 and a High 5 in PKL 2019. Bengal fans will hope for similar performances from Nabibakhsh in Pro Kabaddi 2021.
Center - Rishank Devadiga
Former Pro Kabaddi League champion Rishank Devadiga moved to the Bengal Warriors ahead of the eighth season. He played for U Mumba and UP Yoddha in previous seasons.
The star Indian raider has struggled with injuries. Devadiga's primary focus in PKL 2021 will be to stay fit and score heaps of raid points for his new team.
Right Cover - Darshan J
Former Tamil Thalaivas defender Darshan J was signed by the Bengal Warriors at the PKL Auction 2021. Darshan had a decent PKL season in 2017, where he scored 40 tackle points, including a High 5.
After missing the PKL 2019, Darshan is all set to make his comeback in the Bengal Warriors jersey this season.
Click here for the Pro Kabaddi result.
Right In - Sukesh Hegde
Bengal Warriors released Sukesh Hegde ahead of PKL Auction 2021 but they re-signed him for ₹30 lakh at the auction. Hegde has been one of the top performers in PKL history.
The seasoned pro has earned 429 points from 100 matches so far. He will look to support Maninder Singh, Rishank Devadiga and Mohammad Nabibakhsh to perfection in the raid attack.
Right Corner - Abozar Mighani
The Bengal Warriors raised quite a few eyebrows when they released Baldev Singh from the squad. Baldev was the team's best defender in their PKL-winning campaign last season.
The Warriors signed Iranian star Abozar Mighani as their right-corner defender for the eighth season. Mighani, a backhold specialist, is one of the top right-corner defenders in the world, and has 160 tackle points to his name in the PKL. He will hope to impress when he turns up in the Bengal Warriors jersey.
