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#8 Bengal Warriors - 103k followers
The defending champions Bengal Warriors stand at the eighth spot in the most followers among the PKL teams on Instagram with 1,03,000+ followers. The Kolkata-based franchise finally clinched their maiden title in the seventh season with their all-round performances led by the likes of Maninder Singh and the Iranian Mohammad Nabibakhsh.
Warriors made it to the playoffs in three seasons of the league but never made it to the finale as they didn't have a formidable line-up back then. However, the Season 7 champions gained a reputable amount of followers after the way they played throughout the seventh edition. The team has created a buzz in social media after their title win since then.
Warriors got known for their depth in their line-up in both raiding and defense in the recently-concluded season. While Nabibakhsh led the team in the absence of regular skipper Maninder Singh, the duo of Baldev Singh and Rinku Narwal showed maturity throughout the season and performed well as a unit. With the recent title victory, Bengal Warriors have established a bond with the Kolkata fans on social media.
#7 Gujarat Fortune Giants - 106k followers
Gujarat Fortune Giants attracted a lot of interests of the Kabaddi fans by appearing into two back-to-back finals. The Gujarat-based franchise, known for backing young prodigies to step up and perform in the limelight, impressed a lot of Kabaddi fans as they have acquired 1,06,000+ followers on their Instagram handle.
A lot of admirers acknowledged Manpreet Singh as one of the most exciting coaches they've witnessed in the league, as Gujarat gave limelight to a lot of young players like Sachin Tanwar, Rohit Gulia Sunil Kumar, and Parvesh Bhainswal. The uniqueness in their style of play became a prominent reason for their increase in popularity among other teams.
However, the seventh season turned out to be a backfire for the Fortune Giants as they finished at the ninth position in the points table with just seven wins out of 22 matches. The lack of an experienced veteran in the squad hurt them a lot, as Sachin Tanwar's poor form along with the inconsistency of the cover duo - Sunil Kumar and Parvesh Bhainswal led them to a downhill. Rohit Gulia's vital performances during crucial situations were the only positive for the side last year.
Gujarat Fortune Giants would want change in plans as they will be hoping to sign big-match players into the auction, which could help them attract admiration from the fans and win their maiden trophy in the upcoming eighth season in the process.
