PKL 11: Banking on seasoned raiders, Bengaluru Bulls seek a return to the playoffs

New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS) Champions of season 6 of the Pro Kabaddi League, Bengaluru Bulls will be keen to once again get their hands on the PKL title after missing out in the last four campaigns. They made the playoffs in three of the last four seasons but missed out on a berth in the playoffs last season.

Bengaluru Bulls, in fact, have reached the playoffs in six out of the 10 PKL seasons so far. Their sole PKL triumph came in season 6 while they’ve also finished runners-up in season 2 once, besides making four other playoff appearances.

Season 11 will see Bengaluru Bulls continue with head coach Randhir Singh Sehrawat, who has been with the franchise since the inaugural edition of PKL and is the league’s longest-serving coach.

Active at the season 11 Player Auction table, Bengaluru Bulls finished the two-day event with a squad that has plenty of exciting talents. Their new-look raiding unit, in particular, will strike fear in opposition defensive units and here we take a closer look at their squad, assessing their strengths and weaknesses ahead of the new campaign.

Strengths

The Bulls purchased Pardeep Narwal for Rs 70 lakh and Ajinkya Pawar for Rs 1.107 crore at the Player Auction, strengthening the team’s raiding unit. While Narwal is the highest-scoring raider in PKL history with 1,690 raid points, Pawar has accumulated 454 raid points over the years.

Narwal, who made his PKL debut with the Bulls in season 2, will be hoping to return to his best after a few underwhelming seasons. He can expect solid support from Pawar, who was the seventh most-expensive player in the season 11 Player Auction and has averaged more than 100 raid points in the last three seasons.

Raider Jai Bhagwan is another exciting attacking addition to the Bulls’ squad after being bought for Rs 63 lakh. He has managed 122 raid points in two seasons and will be eager to make an impact with the Bulls in the upcoming campaign. Furthermore, their retained raiders like Sushil and Akshit enhance their attacking depth. While Sushil managed 100 raid points last season, Akshit scored 61 raid points.

Weaknesses

It will be interesting to see how Bengaluru Bulls’ defence rises to the challenge in season 11. Captain Saurabh Nandal is the only established defender in the Bengaluru Bulls squad and he will be entrusted to lead the defence from the front in the new campaign. However, Nandal, who has managed 246 tackle points in his PKL career, will need defensive support from what seems to be an inexperienced defensive unit on paper.

The likes of Parteek, Arulnanthababu and Rohit Kumar have all competed in one season of PKL and have collectively accumulated 46 tackle points. Needless to say, the aforementioned defensive trio will need to raise their game in season 11 along with Ponparthiban Subramanian, who has scored 40 tackle points over four seasons.

Opportunities

After missing out on season 10 due to injury, the upcoming campaign will serve as the perfect opportunity for all-rounder Nitin Rawal to make up for lost time. An explosive player who can be a menace on both ends of the mat on his day, Nitin Rawal has amassed 142 raid points and 94 tackle points in his PKL career.

His defensive ability will be crucial to the fortunes of Bengaluru Bulls as they seem slightly short in defence. Bought for Rs 13 lakh at the Player Auction, how Rawal fares alongside fellow all-rounder Chandranaik M will go a long way in determining how the Bulls’ season progresses. Known to be a robust tackler, Chandranaik M’s defensive contributions could prove to be vital for the Bulls.

Threats

A lot of how the Bengaluru Bulls’ season unfolds could also depend on Pardeep Narwal’s form. The Dubki King hasn’t enjoyed the best of outings in his last few campaigns but will be hoping to turn things around under the tutelage of head coach Sehrawat, who gave Pardeep his PKL debut.

If Pardeep does rediscover his form, the Bulls can expect a solid season. However, should Pardeep struggle, the lack of a distinct main raider in the team might be a concern, as none of Ajinkya Pawar, Jai Bhagwan, Sushil, or Akshit have the experience of consistently being a lead raider or the know-how to handle the expectations and pressure associated with that role.

— IANS

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