Pro Kabaddi: 5 players you may not know played for Bengal Warriors in PKL

The Pro Kabaddi League has brought about a revolutionary change in the sport of kabaddi thanks to the organizers' innovative ideas. The concept of the do-or-die raids, super tackle and time-outs has helped the players adopt a strategic approach towards the game rather than just seeking to get all the opposition players out as soon as possible.

The unknown talented players have become kabaddi stars and have millions of fans now. The mud has given way to the mat as it has been 6 years that kabaddi has got its own IPL-styled tournament. In the initial seasons of Pro Kabaddi League, only 8 teams battled for supremacy but the number of teams has gone up to 12 since Season 5.

Bengal Warriors, representing the city of Kolkata, had joined the league in the first season itself. However, they are yet to win a PKL season. They have reached the play-offs on multiple occasions but they have never reached the final.

As the format of Pro Kabaddi League guarantees a lot of player transfers in the pre-season auction, a plethora of players switch teams every year. There have been instances that a player could not live up to the expectations for a certain franchise in a particular season but moved to a new home next year and then emerged as a star.

Pardeep Narwal is the best example of the aforementioned statement. Very few fans know that he was a part of the Bengaluru Bulls in Season 2. So, in this article, we will take a look at the 5 players you did not know were once a part of Bengal Warriors:

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#5 C. Arun

C. Arun grabbing raider Rishank Devadiga's ankle

Left corner defender, C. Arun played for Bengal Warriors in the 4th edition of the Pro Kabaddi League. He donned the Bengal Warriors jersey in 14 matches where he scored 15 tackle points.

The Tamil Nadu-born defender could not register a single High-5 in the entire season. His poor average of 1 tackle point per match was one of the main reasons why the Kolkata-based franchise released him soon.

He was a part of Tamil Thalaivas in Season 5 and 6 but now he is playing for the Telugu Titans.

#4 Monu Goyat

Monu Goyat played for Bengal Warriors in PKL 2016

Versatile raider, Monu Goyat joined the Pro Kabaddi League in its fourth season. Bengal Warriors picked him up in the auction and Goyat gave good support to Jang Kun Lee and Nitin Madane that year.

The running hand touch specialist scored 59 raid points in 13 matches. He finished 15th on the raiders' leader-board. However, the team decided to release him before Season 5. This move proved to be a game-changing one for Monu as he became a part of Patna Pirates. Goyat formed an excellent raiding pair with Pardeep Narwal as the duo led Patna to its third consecutive title.

The raider received the most expensive bid in PKL history in Season 6, when Haryana Steelers bought him for a staggering price of Rs. 1.51 crores. But, he faltered under the pressure of his heavy price tag. This year, he will play for UP Yoddha.

#3 Girish Maruti Ernak

Girish Maruti Ernak (2nd from left) is the vice captain of Puneri Paltan

Left corner defender, Girish Maruti Ernak made a name for himself by playing for Patna Pirates in the first 2 seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League. His solid performances impressed the Bengal Warriors team management as they recruited his services ahead of PKL 3.

Ernak stayed with the Bengal Warriors for 2 seasons and accumulated 58 tackle points in 30 matches. He played a crucial role in the Warriors' success in the third edition of the league. Girish scored 4 High 5s while playing for the Bengal Warriors, besides executing 2 super tackles.

The mighty defender moved to Puneri Paltan in 2017 and is still a part of the Pune-based franchise. He also played for Team India at the Kabaddi Masters 2018. The Pune team management has elected him as the vice-captain of their team in PKL 2019.

#2 Deepak Narwal

Deepak Narwal played only one season for Bengal Warriors

Deepak Narwal made his PKL debut as a part of the Patna Pirates in Season 2. The running hand touch specialist even won the 3rd edition of the Pro Kabaddi League while playing for Patna. He switched to Dabang Delhi next season but he could score only 13 raid points in the 6 matches he played.

This led to his release from the Delhi franchise and the Bengal Warriors became the next team to hire Narwal. Though Deepak represented Bengal in only one season, he ensured that it was his best season. With 85 raid points in 16 matches, Deepak played a key role in Bengal's journey to the playoffs.

He registered 4 Super 10s in Season 5 which tempted his former team, Patna Pirates to buy him once again. However, Deepak could not repeat his past success hence, he had to find a new home once again. The former Pro Kabaddi winner is playing for Jaipur Pink Panthers in Pro Kabaddi League 2019,

#1 Ravi Dalal

Ravi Dalal sent shock waves in the kabaddi universe with his performance in the maiden edition

Former Patna Pirates star, Ravi Dalal was one of the biggest names of the Pro Kabaddi League in Season One. The youngster scored a humongous 111 raid points in the first season. His average of 6.93 raid points per match gave the fans a huge hint of the talent he had.

However, the raider could not continue his same form in the succeeding seasons. He played for Bengal Warriors in Season 4 but he finished the season with just 13 raid points. His poor performances led to his ouster from the Pro Kabaddi League as he failed to attract bids from any franchise.

A lot of fans may have forgotten Ravi Dalal but no one can forget the way this youngster dominated the defensive units in the first season of the Pro Kabaddi League.

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