Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 21 : Bengal Warriorz Skipper Fazel Atrachali heaped praise on Nitin Dhankar and called him the franchise's "star" player.
All eyes were on the pairing of Bengal Warriorz captain Fazel Atrachali and the ace raider Maninder Singh, who were pairing up for the first time.
First up for the star duo was a game against the Jaipur Pink Panthers on Sunday, and while the two talismanic figures didn't disappoint in terms of individual performances, the Bengal Warriorz lost a close contest in their opening game.
Looking back on the defeat, captain Fazel Atrachali said, "This was our first game in PKL Season 11, and in the last few minutes of the game the Jaipur Pink Panthers also got a bit lucky. But this is okay, and we will learn from our mistakes, the season is very long, and 100 per cent in the next game, the Bengal Warriorz will look to bounce back."
"It is good that whatever has happened, it was in the first game of the season for the Bengal Warriorz because then we have time to work on our plans. We fought well, but it would be a problem if the team did not put up a fight," the skipper added.
Even though the Bengal Warriorz were not able to pick up the win, the captain heaped praise on Nitin Dhankar, who finished the game as the top scorer for their side.
"Nitin is our star player. I am very happy when our players come out to perform the way Nitin did. When they play well, it helps me and the others perform better too. One day Nitin will play well and, on another day, maybe Maninder will play well," Fazel said.
Up next for the Bengal Warriorz, is a game against the UP Yoddhas on Thursday. Looking ahead to the contest, coach Prashant Surve said, "They (UP Yoddhas) also have a good team, they have some young players and the defensive unit and raiders are good. But we will also study their side properly and make plans accordingly."
The first game of the Tuesday will see the Telugu Titans led by Pawan Sehrawat come up against the Jaipur Pink Panthers, who are led by Arjun Deshwal. While the Telugu Titans have won one and lost one so far, the Jaipur Pink Panthers picked up a close win against the Bengal Warriorz in their opening game.
The second game will see the UP Yoddhas open their campaign in PKL Season 11 against the Bengaluru Bulls. The Bengaluru Bulls have lost both of their opening games so far in the season.
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