PKL 2019 | Maninder Singh still isn’t fit to play, reveals BC Ramesh

There were a lot of talks going around regarding Maninder Singh’s injury and his participation in the semi-final battle against U Mumba. The skipper didn’t take to the mat on Wednesday and it was the Iranian all-rounder Mohammad Nabibakhsh who captained the side as they defeated the season 2 winners in a closely-fought battle. Meanwhile, after the win, coach BC Ramesh has said that Maninder was not fully fit and he was unsure of him taking part in the summit clash against Dabang Delhi.

“Maninder still isn’t fit to play and he’s a bit tentative. So, right now it’s all about working and then let’s see if he can make it to the mat,” Ramesh was quoted as saying by the PKL website.

Bengal Warriors have qualified for the finals for the very first time in the franchise history. Kolkata has been a part of the league from the first season but making it to the summit clash for the first time this season is a huge success for their coach Ramesh.  In the semi-final game, Sukesh Hegde starred in the raiding in Maninder’s absence and collected eight points while left corner Rinku Narwal scored four tackle points against U Mumba.

“Everyone is very happy to qualify for the final. I was always confident with my players and told them the same thing prior to tonight’s game. People were saying we could beat U Mumba by eight points or so, but it’s difficult to win by that margin. To win by two or three points against them is doable. The management and our captain, Maninder are all happy with the win,” the Bengal coach mentioned.

“I always predicted that it would be a close match, but we could have won it by a big margin as well. They used the bonus points pretty well and that’s what got them so close in the end.”