Hyderabad, Oct 24 (IANS ) Despite starting the season with a narrow loss, Nitin Kumar is confident that the Bengal Warriorz are on the right track in Season 11 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL). The raider was clinical on the attacking end in the opening game of the season against the Jaipur Pink Panthers, scoring 13 points, including a late flurry of points that kept his team in the game.
His captain, Fazel Atrachali, was full of praises for the Haryana-born star who has been a part of the Bengal Warriorz since last season.
When asked about how pleasing it was to witness his captain refer to him as one of the star players in the team, Nitin said, “It is a huge motivating factor for me. Fazel is a legend, and I am delighted to be playing with him. I have always looked up to him and Maninder, and it is very motivating for me as a player to receive praise from them. I will do my best to keep up with the expectations from my captain and continue trying to do well for the team.”
The Season 7 champions had a bit of an overhaul in terms of their squad ahead of the season. Nitin Kumar believes that the team is well-balanced this season and the hard work they’re putting in as a unit will start reflecting on the mat sooner rather than later.
“The balance of our team is good and we are working well in training. In the first game, the result did not go in our favour but we are combining well as a unit. The defenders and attackers are in sync, and the results of the hard work will start showing on the mat, for sure. When the team works well in combination, it reduces pressure on individual players and it helps us all play better. We are doing our best to ensure that we set high standards and perform well on the mat," he stated.
Bengal Warriorz will be taking the mat once more on Thursday, to take on the UP Yoddhas, who are coming into the contest after their massive win. On the prospect of facing the Yoddhas.
“The UP Yoddhas are a strong team, there is no doubt about it. However, we have a good squad and a solid strategy, and we will look to execute our plans. They have some important players in their squad but we are focussing on the game as a team. We will do our best to win the game. The morale of the team is good, and the Bengal Warriorz will fight hard to stop the UP Yoddhas from picking up another win,” Nitin added.