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Former champions Bengal Warriors have assembled one of the strongest teams in Pro Kabaddi 2022. The Kolkata-based franchise won the seventh edition of the league but failed to qualify for the playoffs last season.
Playing under the leadership of Maninder Singh, the Warriors finished ninth in the PKL points table, registering only nine wins from 22 matches. They had some big names like Mohammad Nabibakhsh, Abozar Mighani and Sukesh Hegde in the squad. However, they failed to finish in the Top 6.
The team management decided to release a majority of their players ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction. They retained their skipper Maninder Singh and built a fresh squad around him.
Experienced players like Deepak Niwas Hooda, Girish Maruti Ernak, and Surender Nada are now a part of the franchise. Here's a look at the new Bengal Warriors squad for PKL 9:
Maninder Singh, Manoj Gowda K, Akash Pikalmunde, Suyog Baban Gaikar, R Guhan, Parshant Kumar, Vaibhav Bhausaheb Garje, Deepak Niwas Hooda, Ajinkya Rohidas Kapre, Girish Maruti Ernak, Shrikant Jadhav, Soleiman Pahlevani, Aslam Saja Mohamed Thambi, Ashish Kumar Sangwan, Vinod Kumar, Balaji D, Parveen Satpal, Amit Sheoran, Surender Nada, Sakthivel R, Shubham Shinde, and Rohit.
Overall, Bengal have a good blend of youth and experience in the squad. In this listicle, we will look at three reasons why the Warriors could win their second PKL title in 2022.
#1 Maninder Singh will get better support in Pro Kabaddi 2022
In the previous edition of the Pro Kabaddi League, Bengal Warriors captain Maninder Singh fought like a one-man army. He scored 262 raid points in 22 matches for the Kolkata-based franchise.
The team's next-best raider was Mohammad Nabibakhsh, who managed 89 raid points in 20 matches, while third raider Sukesh Hegde finished the season with only 58 raid points.
Whenever Maninder Singh would get tackled, he will have to wait a long time for his revival. But this year, Bengal have some proven match-winners like Shrikant Jadhav and Deepak Niwas Hooda, who can not only revive Maninder when needed but also lead the attack in his absence.
#2 Bengal Warriors have a stronger defense in Pro Kabaddi 2022
Not a single Bengal Warriors defender finished in the Top 20 of the Most Tackle Points list last season. The team's best defender was Abozar Mighani, who scored 43 tackle points in 22 matches.
Courtesy of the defense's poor showing in season eight, the team management released a majority of their defenders before the auction. They roped in seasoned campaigners Surender Nada, Ashish Sangwan and Girish Ernak along with rising stars Shubham Shinde and Soleiman Pahlevani to bolster their defense.
Bengal's defense looks solid on paper. If the aforementioned players bring their 'A' game to the table, Bengal could win the championship.
#3 The Deepak Niwas Hooda factor
Before the Pro Kabaddi 2022 Auction, Deepak Hooda, the league's top all-rounder, spoke with Sportskeeda and said that his performance in the ninth season would be the same as it was at his peak. He is ready to contribute as a raider as well as in defense this season.
"This year will be different, wait and watch. See my performance in this PKL 9 season, it will like how it was in my peak. You will see me excelling in raiding and defending," said Hooda.
If a player like Deepak fires all cylinders in Pro Kabaddi 2022, it will be very difficult for the other teams to keep the Bengal Warriors down.
