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Season four of the Pro Kabaddi League ended up being a horrendous season for Bengal Warriors. They finished right at the bottom of the points table, winning just three of the 14 games they played. Bengal ended the season with 26 points, exactly half of the number of points Patna Pirates put on board.
At the recent auctions, they displayed ambition by acquiring the services of some of the best players in the league. What once resembled a team of broken induvial now looks like the real deal.
On the surface, a playoff spot may seem farfetched but this Bengal outfit has what it takes to go all the way.
Here's their predicted line-up.
#1 Jang Kun Lee
With 61 raid points in 11 games, Bengal’s surprise poster boy, Jang Kun Lee was one of the few, if not the only, highlight for the Warriors in season 4. This time around, he has a set of solid raiders to give him company.
But he will still lead the raiding department, given his successful outings in the previous seasons. Arguably, the most loved player in the Pro Kabaddi League, Lee is wise enough to know adulation lasts as long as form does.
#2 Deepak Narwal
Former Patna Pirates raider, Deepak Narwal was sparsely used in season 4. Playing just 6 matches, he could conjure up a measly 13 raid points. There’s no doubt, he’s a talented raider but even the best in the league need game time to build momentum.
At Bengal, he will have plenty of time to do just that. An extremely agile athlete, Deepak will be part of the core group of raiders in this side.
#3 Rahul Kumar
At right cover, Bengal will deploy the solid Rahul Kumar. Known usually for starting slow off the blocks, Rahul will have to be extremely alert and ensure his side don’t give away cheap points, like they have done in the previous editions.
Captain Surjeet too plays as a right cover and one of them will likely change positions to accommodate the other.
#4 Surjeet Singh
If there was ever a time for Surjeet Singh to step up, it is now. He played a crucial role for U Mumba in the previous edition. This time around, he will have to take his game a notch higher and set the standards.
As captain of this side, Surjeet can no longer depend on another teammate to make the crucial decisions. It will be interesting to see how he adapts to his new role and if he can balance both defending and captaincy duties.
#5 Bhupender Singh
There are umpteen number of players in the league who had a torrid season 4 and will be desperate to bounce back. Former U Mumba all-rounder, Bhupender Singh will be one of them.
While he is very well capable of raiding, with three stellar raiders in this team, Bhupender will likely occupy the cover position and primarily play as a defender. He played only 4 matches last time and will be itching to prove himself once again.
#6 Ran Singh
With 54 matches under his belt, Ran Singh will bring some much-needed experience to this new look Bengal outfit. As an all-rounder, 66% of his points have come from defending and he will once again play a pivotal role in the back line.
To put things into perspective, one of the league’s best all-rounder, Sandeep Narwal took 16 matches to score 27 tackle points. Ran Singh scored 25 in just 10 matches. Bengal have in their ranks, an extremely astute player.
#7 Maninder Singh
Bengal Warriors have in their midst, season one’s third best defender. We have no idea where Maninder disappeared post season one but the Warriors couldn’t care less.
A raider who scored a massive 130 points in the opening edition, Maninder has all the traits to be a world class attacker. One could go out on a limb and announce him as the dark horse who can dethrone Rahul Chaudhari this season.
