Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: 5 players from Bengaluru Bulls who can leave a mark

Even before the auctions ahead of the fifth season, the Bengaluru Bulls management made one of the most baffling decisions in the league's history by releasing their star raider Rohit Kumar and retaining, instead, all rounder Ashish Kumar. If that wasn't enough, they piled on our bafflement by buying back Kumar for 81 lakhs in the auctions. If pre season strategies present any hints about teams' strategies in the tournament, it seems the Bulls are trying to master the art of deception for their games.

The team assembled by the Bengaluru management looks to be in dire need of more experience. Most of the names will be playing their second season while many others will be turning up for the first time on the the Pro Kabaddi League stage. However, if coach Randhir Singh is to be believed, it was a concerted effort to build a young team around raider Rohit Kumar.

His rationale is that since it's the longest of all seasons till now, only fresh legs can help a team sustain the intensity over the entire length of the tournament. While that does make some sense, one should not forget that early losses can often deflate the team's morale and derail the team's campaign.

Having said that, here are the 5 names Bengaluru Bulls will be relying on to up their game once the season gets underway

#1 Rohit Kumar

Despite a lot happening in his personal life in the past one year, Kumar's focus has always been on Kabaddi

How individual brilliance counts for little in this game was demonstrated best by Rohit Kumar's helplessness in the last season. Kumar's average raids per match was next only to Telugu Titans' Rahul Chaudhari, yet it achieved little in contributing to the team's cause who hurtled from one defeat to another throughout the season.

With Ajay Kumar to partner him in the raiding department this season, one can hope to see a more free Rohit Kumar take the mat. However, he will still be handling captaincy duties and it remains to be seen how that pans out for the Bulls, for Kumar doesn't seem like a natural leader as someone like Anup Kumar of U Mumba or Manjeet Chillar of Jaipur Pink Panthers.

#2 Ravinder Pahal

Ravinder Pahal has an intimidating presence in the team's defence

Hailing from Sonepat in Haryana, the experienced defender's presence in Bulls defence will calm a lot of frayed nerves in a young Bengaluru side. Pahal wasn't his usual self for Puneri Paltan in the last season but that shouldn't take anything away from what he brings to the side as a defender. His thigh hold is vicious and being a seasoned pro that he is, he is not vulnerable to raiders' mind games.

He had a dream season two for Dabang Delhi but his form tapered off dramatically in the third season before showing signs of recovery in the last. If he gets going, no raider is big enough for him. Moreover, as a senior, he will need to take responsibility to guide the youngsters in the team.

#3 Ashish Kumar

His baby face notwithstanding, Ashish Kumar can bring down the best of raiders with his tackling apart from stealing crucial raid point

Ashish Kumar being retained by the team management ahead of raider Rohit Kumar shocked many. Bulls, however, have seemed to zero in on him to groom for bigger things in the coming times.

He wasn't released after a listless third season and the faith the management showed in him paid dividends in the fourth season when he came out a much-improved player. In fact, starting as a defender, he gave his game an added dimension and developed into an effective all rounder.

On the mat, Kumar put his slender frame and agility to good use and developed into an escape artist. While defending, he also can be seen using the ankle hold to good effect.

#4 Ajay Kumar

Ajay Kumar enjoyed a lot of success when going for the do or die raids

Ajay Thakur could only get a consistent first team run in the last half of the fourth season for Jaipur Pink Panthers and what an impact he made. There were little doubts about his talent but the way the youngster took responsibility in the last season shows the country's Kabaddi future is in safe custody.

For the Bulls, Thakur will have a new role as he will no more be waiting for team's front line raider to get injured for his chances and will start the proceedings with Rohit Kumar second in command.

#5 Gurvinder Singh

Singh has the experience of playing with two of the most successful teams of the league - Patna and Mumbai

Despite 34 games under his belt, Singh is hardly talked about in the Pro Kabaddi circles. Considering he could never establish himself as a first team player for either of the sides he was involved with, it's not much surprising too.

But one has to also take into account the two teams' strong raiding department that kept Gurvinder out of action for much of the time in the league before dismissing Singh as just another ordinary raider. Singh is still a young player with vast amounts of potential waiting to be tapped in.

In a younger team like Bengaluru Bulls, Gurvinder gets the chance to establish himself as a pivot of team's raiding department. As for the ability, more successful raids than the unsuccessful ones in his 34 match career presents a better picture.