Pro Kabaddi League 7 Qualifiers Top 3 Teams: We dwell into the pool of the top 6 and emerge with three teams who hold the strongest chance of winning the coveted title
With the clamour for sealing a berth in the top 6of the Pro kabaddi League 7 having come to an end now, the marquee league gets ready to shift its bastion to the business end of the league. Starting today, the remaining six sides will be going at loggerheads in qualifiers in a bid to move onto the next round and take one step closer towards the revered summit clash.
The new format means that while the top 2, Dabang Delhi K.C. and Warriors have assured themselves of a place in the semi-finals, teams placed from third to sixth will be vying it out in the two eliminators slated for Monday with the winners moving onto the semi-finals on Wednesday. It’s a testing and arduous format, one which will ascertain that the league filters out the very best and most complete outfit to hand it over the prestigious trophy which has been so craved for so ardently by each side.
As the teams partake in final practice sessions in a bid to tune out their outfits for one last time and address any gaping holes prevelant, we dwelled into each side to take a look at which team stands with the best shout of emerging unblemished on Saturday night. Our discourse pointed us towards three teams, all who stand tall among the rest of their opponents owing to the sublime and pristine brand of kabaddi they have immersed us in over the course of the bygone 131 encounters.
Three Overwhelming Favourites To Win The Trophy
Dabang Delhi K.C.
League Position: 1
Results: Wins-15, Defeats-4, Draws-3
It would have been criminal of us to not begin our docket with the side from the capital with Dabang Delhi K.C. having left no stone unturned in their bid to stamp their authority on the league and regale us in wondrous performances across their life in the league till now. The side have by some margin been the most exquisite and complete side in the league, befittingly finishing in first place to directly qualify for the finals.
And what makes the side overwhelming favourites for the PKL trophy as well is not just the form they have displayed across league stage encounters with the manner in which those wins have come about. With Ravinder Pahal, Vishal Mane and Dhamraj in defence, the side have made for a staunch viewing in defence while Naveen Kumar and Chandran Ranjit have been carrying out raids with ease in the attacking side of things to see the side address every facet of their gameplan.
What has been exceptionally quissential for the side is the fact that they have not relied on individual performances with the entire team clicking together in tandem to leave their opponents bestirred. The side have been indomitable and make for extremely daunting viewing, a team no one will want to face in the first semi-final.
U.P. Yoddha
League Position: 3
Results: Wins- 13, Defeats-7 , Draws-2
At the halfway mark, we were unsure if U.P. Yoddha will even be able to win an entire of 5 matches in the league, let alone talking of them making it into the top 6. However, akin to last season, a late surge from the side has seen them yet again overturn a horrid start to the league to not only overhaul what has an underachieving start but climb as high as third place in the league standings.
Having finally managed to unlock their true potential, this U.P. Yoddha side is looking extremely daunting as things stand. While the defence has started working out in their favour with Nitish Kumar picking up 70 raid points, the side’s real strength lies in their raiding facet with the side having perhaps the most complete trivalent of raiders in all of the remaining sides in the league.
While Srikhhant Jadhav has been a flawless and bankable name for the side with his 139 raid points, what has really galvanised the side has been the emergence of Surinder Gill, Rishank and Monu Goyat as the league stage encounters came to an end. The three have in between them taken up the duty of being the second raider for the side in unison, intertwining their skill set to ensure the side never found themselves in peril when Srikhhant was out of the mat to come up with pivotal do or die raids and all outs.
Haryana Steelers
League Position: 5
Results: Wins-13, Defeats-8, Draw-1
Topsy-turvy is perhaps the most efficient way to describe this season for Haryana Steelers. They began their campaign in horrendous fashion, being obliterated left, right and centre proceeding which the side went on an unprecedented and compelling run to become one of the most formidable and momentous teams in the league.
The onus of their succulent displays lay solely on the brute of raider Vikash Khandola from injury with the side winning 9 of their 13 encounters when the raider scored 9 or more points. It’s a figure which perfectly epitomises how crucial the raider has been to the side’s consummate success, a specialist player who was more than willing to take the accountability of delivering match winning performances on his side.
From being the dominant team, the side were left in dismay towards the closing end of the league stage encounters as they slipped to a few defeats but it’s a narrative which will not deter the side massively. If they can continue to rebuff the defence and the secondary raiders can keep supporting Khandola, the side will be able to peel past U Mumba in their PKL Season 7 eliminator on Monday and stand with a very real chance of winning their first ever league title.
Also Read : Pro Kabaddi 2019 Qualified Team Captains Reveal Their Strategies For The Eliminator And Qualifiers
