“I was worried how my coordination would be” - Bengal Warriorz coach Prashant Surve on having Fazel in the team; confident of doing well in Season 11

Bengal Warriorz have been one of the longest-standing teams in the Pro Kabaddi League. Having stood the test of time, they won their maiden title in Season 7. However, things haven't been smooth sailing since then, with the team failing to make the playoffs thrice in three seasons.

Rebranding themselves from Warriors to Warriorz could surely be a step in the right direction for them. With a new coach Prashant Surve, who has been promoted to the head coach position, and Praveen Yadav being handed the responsibility as his deputy, the Warriorz aim at reclaiming their glory and sitting at the top of the Pro Kabaddi League.

Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda on the sidelines of the Bengal Warriorz press conference, the coaches explained what went through their minds after narrowly missing out on the playoffs last season and what are their targets for the upcoming season.

Q. A new season, a new squad, and renewed vigor. What are your thoughts on the upcoming season?

A (Prashant Surve:). The team environment has been very positive. Everyone has been fit and we want to enter the tournament with a positive frame of mind.

Q. The last season saw the team start well but tail off towards the end. The momentum was lacking. How do you plan to fix that?

A (Prashant Surve:) The main reason for this was injuries in the squad. Seven players were injured and the momentum changed because of which we started losing games

Q. After the last season ended, what were your thoughts after missing out for a third time running and how do you plan to resolve the issues of the last season?

Prashant Surve: We were saddened as we failed to qualify for the third time running but we were working on it throughout the year. We were scouting young talent and held four to five camps of 15 days each. We have decided to work on our defense and offense with the team aiming to win the title.

Praveen Yadav: The management told me to scout players. At the backend, I was working with them and scoured through various tournaments such as Khelo India and various local tournaments throughout the year. The talents we have picked through NYPK are some of the best and there is a lot of competition in the ongoing camp such that we are finding it tough to determine who will be a part of our starting seven.

The players are young and fit and we hope they remain injury-free throughout the campaign. This is a well-balanced squad with experienced guys in Maninder, Fazal, Nitin, and Nitesh along with some young talents in Arjun Rathi.

Q. We have heard a lot about Arjun Rathi. As coaches, what makes you think that he is different from the rest?

Prashant Surve: We searched about Arjun Rathi first in the Yuva Kabaddi Series and he was outstanding throughout the tournament. We called him up for the camp and held trials across four days. We have seen his skills and he is a talent who will do better and improve throughout the season.

Praveen Yadav: I had seen Arjun in the last season. He was training and was enrolled in the army because of which he couldn't join us last season. This time, we have decided to zero down on him and are delighted to have him with us.

Q. There was a lot of chatter around Shreyas Umbardand last season but unfortunately he was injured. Is there a chance that he could start this season?

A (Prashant Surve:) There is a possibility that he could start with Parveen. Both are putting pressure on us but the decision will be made in the coming days. Shreyas is playing really well as of now and should he get a chance, he will do well.

Q. You mentioned that Tamil Thalaivas and U Mumba are teams to contend with. What do you believe is their strong point?

A. (Prashant Surve:) The Thalaivas raiding unit is nice, their defense is also pretty sorted so teams will find it tough against it. Mumba has a solid defense and the raiding department is also okay. There will be competition from both sides throughout the tournament.

Q. You have worked with Maninder as a captain and now have been working with Fazel as the skipper. What have been your experiences so far?

Prashant Surve: I have been working with Maninder for the past couple of years. He is down to earth and has never spoken ill about anyone or has been irritated. He has been cool off the mat but aggressive on it.

Regarding Fazel, I was worried about my coordination with him, but after speaking to and knowing him, I realized he is also down to earth. In our few conversations, I have told him to play his natural game. Playing aggressively has been our game plan. With Fazel's arrival, the team looks much stronger, which has boosted my confidence.

Praveen Yadav: Sir has covered points about both. He has been with the young guys in the team and has put in a lot of hard work. He explains them and guides them really well like a captain. He doesn't have any ego in him.

Q. You have appointed Nitesh Kumar as the vice-captain of the side, do you have an emerging captain in him who can take care of the side?

A (Prashant Surve:) Nitesh has good potential and has experience with it as well. His defense is top-notch, such that he has every skill needed in his repertoire. He could go on and lead any side in the future.

Q. Did you expect that in the auction, you would get Maninder and Fazel for cheap and Nitesh at a reasonable price?

A (Prashant Surve:)We didn't expect that we would buy back Maninder at this price. We had saved a good portion of our purse for him, the same for Fazel. We had a price in mind for Nitesh and luckily we managed to snap him. The main plan was to get the three of them and we are happy to have done so.