Premier Badminton League 2017 Team Profile: Awadhe Warriors

Awadhe Warriors were the 2016 Premier Badminton League (PBL) semi-finalists and surely they will be looking to go further in the tournament in 2017. They have in their ranks two Indian superstars in the form of Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth. Both will have a point to prove after a injury-plagued season. Not just in singles, the Awadhe Warriors have the firepower in the doubles event as well. World No. 1 men's doubles player and Rio Games silver medallist Goh V Shem of Malaysia will add five stars to the Warriors' doubles line-up.
 
Awadhe Warriors start their PBL 2017 campaign against Hyderabad Hunters on January 2.
 
TEAM OWNERS:
 
Sahara Adventure Sports Limited
 
HOST STADIUM:
 
Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium
 
PLAYERS:
 
Aditya Joshi, Kidambi Srikanth, Vincent Wong Wing Ki - men's singles; Rituparna Das, Saina Nehwal - women's singles; Bodin Isara, Goh W Shem, Markis Kido - men's/mixed doubles; P Sawant, Savitree Amitrapai - women's/mixed doubles.
 
PROSPECTS
 
Awadhe Warriors were already a strong team in the Premier Badminton League and by retaining the likes of Bodin Isara, they have managed to hold on to the spine of the team that were semi-finalists in the 2016 edition. Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth will hold the key for the Awadhe Warriors in the women's and men's singles events but Goh V Shem, Markis Kido and Savitree Amitrapai are also highly-accomplished players and will pose a massive challenge to other teams in the doubles matches.

However, the Warriors will have their fingers crossed that the fitness issues hampering Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth have passed.