Team Talk: Bengal Warriors' established front to take the lead

Bengal Warriors had an excellent run in VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 5 where they topped Zone B, a group which also included eventual winners Patna Pirates. Some pushback during key moments in the second Qualifier meant that they came agonisingly close to beating Patna Pirates but eventually lost by a mere 3 points in a high-scoring game.

They proved to be true Warriors throughout their campaign though and now, after retaining much of their core side in Season 6, they will want to aim for VIVO Pro Kabaddi glory.

Team Highlights

A disciplined defence

Part of the advantage of having a defensive rock like Surjeet Singh leading the side is the discipline he brings to the defence line. Opposition raiders found it extremely difficult to breach the Bengal defence throughout the league as even a small error in judgement ended up with them being dashed out of the mat. Retaining the same core means that the discipline of the unit stays intact. The Cover Defence would need to be supported by the Corners to provide the team an overall balance in defence.

Maninder Singh- The Raiding Rock

Maninder Singh was a key raider for Bengal Warriors in Season 5, scoring 190 points at an astounding average of 9.05 points per match. He went in to raid at critical junctures which included Buzzer Raids where the team needed him to return points in order to win, and emerged triumphant. He will once again be the key man for the Warriors going into Season 6.

Singh was well supported in the games where he got tackled and set off the mat early. The support of his fellow raiders like Jang Kun Lee and Deepak Narwal gave him the freedom to raid freely.

This season too, Singh has able support from Jang Kun Lee, Mahesh Goud and Rakesh Narwal giving the Warriors ample choice.

With Maninder Singh, Jang Kun Lee and Surjeet Singh leading the charge, the Warriors will also want their all-rounders to step up to the plate early. In which case, there could foreseeably be no stopping the march of the Warriors in their bid to bring home their maiden VIVO Pro Kabaddi crown.

Most Successful Raider- Jang Kun Lee with 332 Raid Points (Season 1 – Current)

Most Successful Defender- Nilesh Shinde with 115 Tackle Points (Season 1- 4)

Form Guide

1. Season 5 was the second time Bengal Warriors made it to the Super Playoffs stage under the able guidance of Surjeet Singh. This was also the season where the team scored 749 points, 31.41% of the total points they have scored since the inception of the league. 

2. The team also had a player each among the top 5 most successful raiders and defenders of Season 5. 

3. Surjeet Singh was the most successful Cover defender of the league in Season 5 with 76 Tackle Points, 9 High 5s and 72 tackles completed successfully.

4. Bengal Warriors topped Zone B in Season 5, with 11 wins from their 22 games and 77 points to show for their efforts.

5. In their Season 5 home leg, the Warriors won 2 matches, lost 2 matches and managed a draw in 2 matches. However, in their first home game they managed a 41-38 win over eventual champions Patna Pirates.