Bengaluru: After an intense five weeks of nail-biting and enthralling kabaddi action, we’re finally into the all-important knockout stage. The Jaipur Pink Panthers, U Mumba, and Patna Pirates booked the first three slots in the semi-finals to take place at the NSCI Stadium in Mumbai, after overcoming a challenging and rigorous journey spanning the length and breadth of the country. The three confirmed semi-finalists ended their fourteen-match campaign with 53, 46 and 45 points, respectively.
With just one spot up for grabs in the run-up to the semis, the fate of Bengaluru Bulls rests in their own hands now as they hope to utilise the thunderous benefit of home advantage. But the table topping, Pink Panthers, are in a mood to paint the garden city their own shade of pink. Arguably, amongst the most crucial games witnessed this season, this last match decides the fate of not just one but two teams, as the Telugu Titans can do nothing but, watch from the side lines.
On the penultimate day on their home turf, the Jaipur Pink Panthers became the first team to qualify for the play-offs to be held in Mumbai. Following their 10-point victory over Dabang Delhi at the Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium, Jaipur took their points tally to 48 leaping into the final stages with two matches in hand. Having lost their first match on opening night against an inspired U Mumba, the Panthers clawed their way up the points table, winning eight matches on the trot including a 27-point mauling of Puneri Paltan. In doing so, Jaipur, had announced themselves as firm contenders for the title. A synchronised and unequivocally strong defence led by Captain Navneet Gautam and backed by Rohit Rana proved to be quite the nightmarish experience for raiders across all teams. Complementing their defence, were the marauding raiders Maninder Singh and the smiling assassin Jasvir Singh, who have battled hard for their team and also cemented their place amongst the top-ten raiders in the tournament. Maninder, has the added distinction of being one of few raiders to have crossed a century of raid points. A well-rounded unit, the Jaipur Pink Panthers, who go into the play-offs as the top team, seem ready to stake their claim on the title as champions of the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi Season 1.
The second team to qualify for the play-offs were break out leaders– U Mumba. With the league kicking off on their homeground, the ferocious team from Mumbai started their campaign with an impressive streak of six wins and two draws before hitting their first road block in the form of the charging Bengaluru Bulls. Anup Kumar’s men have been amongst the most-feared through the league. Leading from the front, Anup Kumar has always been among the top-two raiders in the tournament, and the second to reach a hundred raid points. Though plagued with the injuries of Shabeer Bapu and Surender Nada, mid-way through the tournament, this dynamic team continued the fight for a spot in the top four. The young trio of Mohit Chillar, Rishank Devadiga and Pawan Kumar, are perfect defensive foils to their chief raider Anup Kumar. Their biggest win came against Puneri Paltan, when they defeated them by 16-points at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium in Delhi.
Skipper, Anup Kumar’s knack of earning a bonus point in almost every raid is a highlight of a team that never seems to give up. With just three losses in their 13 games, and 46 points in their kitty till now, U Mumba will be another strong title contender. Especially now, with the knockouts shifted to Mumbai-where they will enjoy overwhelming support.
A thrilling encounter set against the backdrop of thousands of voracious fans cheering for the home team at the Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium, Bengaluru, was the story of Patna’s ascent to the play-off stages. Touted to be the comeback of the season, Where the Bulls had a 6 point advantage with 6 minutes to go, the Pirates stormed their way back to victory, defeating the charging Bulls by two points. Under the mounting pressure of a must-win situation, the Pirates proved that they were not just a one-man show led by their flamboyant captain Rakesh Kumar. Sandeep Narwal and Ravi Dalal took matters to their own hands in the absence of their injured captain, ensuring that their team were on the flight to Mumbai.
With three of their five losses in the league within a margin of two-points, the Pirates have earned the enviable reputation of fighting till the last breath. With the captain likely to be cheering on from the docks, the Pirates’ ship will now be steered by the dynamic duo of Sandeep and Ravi who, between the two of them, have amassed their own treasure trunk for the Pirates by collecting an impressive 192 raid points.
The Bulls from Bengaluru came in charging from the word go, positioning themselves well within the top four through the first half of the league. Having won a little over half their games in the lead up to the final day of the league stage, the Bulls have fought valiantly for a semi-final berth, closing in on that final spot only at the very end. With a strong dependence and belief in their captain Manjit Chillar, who led by example to end up as one of the best all-rounders of the Pro Kabaddi League. Assisting him in assembling a tight backline, is veteran, Dharmaraj Cheralathan, who anchors the right side of the Bulls’ defence to devastating effect. The unbreakable Dharmaraj has 30 defender points to his credit. The ace in Bengaluru’s locker, and spearheading the Bulls’ charge for a top-four spot, has been the indomitable force that is Ajay Thakur. One of the pin-up boys of the league, Thakur, has fought through sickness to remain Bengaluru’s greatest weapon and their leading point scorer. As of dusk on the last day of the league stage, the Bulls have only to draw or avoid defeat to the Panthers by 10 points or more, to secure their space as a semi-finalist.
One of the greatest revelations of the tournament has been the yellow army from Vizag, a team that has proved to be the strong and silent contender. The Telugu Titans have surprised one and all with a terrific turnaround, from languishing at the bottom half of table to battling their way into the top four. Riding high on the performance of one of Kabaddi’s newest poster boys and the top-raider of the tournament, Rahul Chaudhari, is the only one to have reached the 150-point mark in the tournament. Vizag where able to race ahead with their dominance at home, with emergence of the triad of Deepak Niwas Hooda, Rahul Chadhari and Sukesh Hegde adding a massive 300 raid points. The talented Titans were visibly heartbroken after going down to the Bulls by a solitary point in the last second of their final league game. They can do nothing more than to keep a hopeful eye on the result of the last league encounter between the Bulls and the Pink Panthers.
The intense competition between the three qualifying teams and the other two competing for the last semis berth stood justified when the stunning Star Sports Pro Kabaddi trophy was unveiled by Charu Sharma, M.D, Mashal Sports, founder of Pro Kabaddi and Janardhan Singh Gehlot, President of the IKF and the 5 captains battling it out for top honours. The coveted silverware designed and created by the internationally reputed Frazer and Haws. It is a reflection of the league itself, standing tall on a silver column topped by the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi logo, inspired by the epic tale of the Chakravyuh, mirroring a raider surrounded by the seven defenders.
Expressing his thoughts about the culmination of the League and its journey so far, Charu Sharma, Managing Director of Mashal Sports said “This league and its success has been built by the immense support of the fans from all across the country. For the millions of fans who have joined our revolution, from tiny hamlets to swank urban neighbourhoods, our gratitude is expressed by gladiators on court, who have played their hearts out match after match. To imagine that the last sport is going to be decided by the very last game of the league stage is a dream for any sporting event. Eight teams arrived. Eight teams fought. Four now survive. But the four that didn’t are equally dear to us, I have no doubt that they will bounce back next season.