Pro Kabaddi League Season 5: 5 players Bengal Warriors will pin their hopes on

'Khiladi' Akshay Kumar might be in charge of the team now but there is nothing 'khiladi' like that the Bengal Warriors team have achieved in the first four seasons of the Pro Kabaddi league. Barring their third season semi finals finish, the team has more or less competed with the franchise from Delhi to end up as the whipping boys of the tournament.

South Korean Jang Kun Lee has been the one consistent stand out performer for the team while players like Nitin Madane, Girish Ernak and Monu Goyat prospered only in patches and, in the process, did not help the team's cause at all. The team got a golden chance to undo all of that at the auctions ahead of the fifth season but blew it away. The team composition post the cacophony of the auctions resembles a B team of a more successful team like U Mumba or Patna Pirates.

There are just a couple of names with the experience of more than 50 games in the league, one of them being the retained star Jang Kun Lee and other being a star of the first season whose prowess is under scanner owing to lacklustre performances in the last couple of seasons.

In such a scenario, the fans won't be expecting much but a slightly improved performance than the wooden spoon finish of the previous season. Here are the five names who'll have to shoulder the burden for the team to end the season at a respectable position in the final league standings

#1 Jang Kun Lee

Despite his overall brilliance, the Korean's brain freeze moments have often cost his team matches

There are a number of 'what ifs' in sports that have often made for good pub debates and discussions. What if Zidane hadn't copped that Red Card in the 2006 final? What if Herschelle Gibbs had not dropped that catch of Steve Waugh against Australia in the 1999 World Cup? What if Dhyanchand accepted Hitler's offer to play for Germany?

With the Bengal franchise holding on to Jang Kun Lee for the fifth season, the next 'what if' that will soon get added to the list, it seems, is what if Jang Kun Lee played for a franchise other than Bengal Warriors in the Pro Kabaddi League. Well, we can only imagine.

Lee is undoubtedly one of the better raiders the league has ever seen. There are few players to match his speed and when he unleashes that scorpion kick, he is vicious, to say the least.

The fact that the Korean averages less than 5 raid points over 51 games owes much to his lack of experience and over-excitement that often gets the better of him. But when he is on song, he can single handedly decide the fate of matches. He has done that time and again for the Warriors and the management would want him to stay as far as possible from injuries this season and do it on a more consistent basis for the team.

#2 Surjeet Singh

Surjeet Singh had a good season 3 with Puneri Paltan

A couple of Surjeet Singhs plying their trade in the Pro Kabaddi League have often confused people but no raider who has been blocked by the defender Surjeet Singh can make that mistake. With a big strong body, Surjeet has the pre requisite covered well for a Kabaddi defender but what makes him a better defender than most of his size is his swiftness across the mat.

Surjeet is a versatile raider as well and can position himself according to team's needs. In the past, he has played both as right cover as well as left cover. Surjeet had a brilliant season with Puneri Paltan where he collected 48 tackle points including five High 5s. The form tapered off, however, with the change of club when he turned up for U Mumba in the fourth season. In fact, much of U Mumba's misery in the tournament was because from their weak defence.

Singh in the role of a captain of the beleaguered Warriors side will look to rise back to his best in the fifth edition of the league.

#3 Maninder Singh

Maninder lit up the first season with his innovative raids that defenders had no answers to

130 raid points and then nothing. Maninder Singh's story is one of the most curious ones in the brief little history of Pro Kabaddi League. Singh was THE man for Jaipur Pink Panthers when they lifted the trophy in the first season. He even got his team 8 points in the all important final against the favourites U Mumba. But post that blast, Singh vanished and it has been 3 seasons now that the Pro Kabaddi League jamboree has gone without seeing him.

This season, though, the Punjabi is back and while questions hover around his effectiveness after three years of no Pro Kabaddi action, if he can dazzle the PKL stage once again in partnership with Jang Kun Lee, it will at least make a lovely Bollywood movie script, even if it can't take Bengal Warriors the distance. That being said, a lot of eyes will be on Maninder due to his story.

#4 Shrikanth Tewthia

Tewthia has all the ingredients of becoming a good all rounder

After representing a team of north, south, west, the UP lad is set to play for his fourth team in his fifth season and no prizes for guessing, it is a team from the East, the Bengal Warriors, that he will be representing. Tewthia has been given consistent runs by all his franchises but has not performed to his potential. And his numbers tell that story better than anything can.

He uses the escape to garner most of his raid points and not so much the hand touch. However, his assist numbers are wonderful and underline the potential as an all-rounder he holds. Warriors would need him to mature into a more consistent performer for the side. Tewthia too will be looking to improve his image and numbers after a not so impressive showing last year for the Jaipur Pink Panthers.

#5 Ran Singh

After four seasons with Jaipur Pink Panthers, Ran Singh will start for Bengal Warriors as the most experienced player

There is an element of fear that Ran Singh brings to the mat which works wonderfully against teams playing under pressure. Jaipur Pink Panthers made full use of this and that’s why he ended up as the best defender of the Panthers over the four years he played for them.

He has developed a name for himself as one of the most trusted all-rounders of the league and that can be said despite a fourth season where he rarely clicked. While his major game is in the defence, he also has brought his franchise crucial points with raids when needed.