PKL 8: Rivalry week sees tough competition between teams

Pawan Sehrawat once again topped the raid points table.

What is a sport? A chase to find the limits of the human body? A pursuit for perfection? Or a tale of defiance and coming back? It is difficult to point fingers to the right reasons that make sports attractive and immensely popular. But Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Week 6 of Season 8 was testimony to perhaps all these factors that makes Kabaddi one of the most loved sport.

Gujarat Giants, written off before the Rivalry Week began, produced two wins in two matches to turn the tides. Dabang Delhi K.C., who people said could not perform without their star raider Naveen Kumar, also dominated their recent matches. New heroes emerged and old stars defied odds in a week of highly entertaining Kabaddi. 

The much-anticipated Rivalry Week of Season 8 has been full of thrills and spills as teams toiled to remain in the reckoning for a playoff spot. Very few points separated the top and the bottom teams which made it an exhilarating week that saw news heroes such as Gujarat’s Pardeep Kumar and Bengaluru Bulls’ Aman come to the limelight. The tournament continued to be heavily contested with even the bottom-placed Telugu Titans having a mathematical possibility of clinching a playoff berth.

Here are the major talking points from Week 6 of PKL Season 8: 

1) New Giants emerge

Pawan Sehrawat once again topped the raid points table with 30 points from 3 matches for the Bulls. Strangely, the Bulls only managed one win in those 3 outings – a match in which Pawan failed to secure a Super 10. The Bulls have been guilty of putting all the responsibilities on the shoulder of their captain Pawan.

Teams started targeting Pawan knowing fully well that the Bulls unit will crumble in his absence. But against U.P. Yoddha, the Bulls extracted more out of secondary raider Bharat and brought more cohesion to their defence by adding G.B. More in the starting 7. The discovery of an alternative plan worked and it will free Pawan Sehrawat to do what he is known for – attack the defenders.

But the week’s surprise package has been the Gujarat raiding unit. Coach Manpreet Singh, understanding the need for fresh inspiration, brought Pardeep Kumar and Ajay Kumar to the lineup by benching Rakesh S, Rakesh Narwal and Mahendra Rajput.

The move paid immediate dividends with Pardeep scoring 22 and Ajay adding 20 in 3 matches. Pardeep’s strength has been a key factor in the turnaround of Gujarat’s fortunes. Ajay has been clever too, attacking the left side of the opposition, and drawing errors from the defence. Gujarat’s win also showed how tightly-contested the season has been with all teams still in the chance for a playoff spot.

2) Cornerstones of success

Week 6 of PKL Season 8 was dominated saw corner defenders regaining their prominence. The ankle and thigh holds were back as the corners proved their worth. U.P. Yoddha’s Nitesh Kumar, Bengal Warriors’ Ran Singh and Patna’s Sunil had great outings but the week’s best defenders were Tamil Thalaivas’ Sagar and Bengaluru Bulls’ Aman.

Sagar, who has been rock solid for the Thalaivas all season, scored 12 tackle points in 2 matches – a score that would have made even a raider happy. He is the current Orange Sleeve holder (given to the defender with maximum tackle points) with 49 points.

Bengaluru Bulls’ Aman was great against U.P Yoddha too which means he finished the week with 10 points in three matches. Aman and Saurabh Nandal are growing into a potent corner combination for the Bulls as the season enters its crucial stages.

Delhi’s Manjeet Chhillar also rolled back the clocks with outstanding defending from the covers. He scored 9 points in 2 matches and was instrumental in their performances in the absence of Naveen Kumar.

3) Best All-Rounders

Another star behind Delhi’s fortunes is Vijay. He was the best performing all-rounder of Week 6 with 2 points in two matches. He and Sandeep Narwal have added a lot of balance into the Delhi unit which has also allowed youngsters like Ashu Malik and Neeraj Narwal to play freely. Manjeet Chhillar’s 9 points make him the second-best all-rounder followed closely by Jaipur Pink Panthers’ Deepak Hooda with 8 points (1 match) and Delhi teammate Sandeep Narwal (2 matches).

4) A new hero, a familiar name

It is not unusual for Kabaddi fans to see the name Pardeep associated with great things. But the week belonged to Gujarat’s Pardeep Kumar and not the “recorder breaker” Pardeep Narwal. Gujarat’s youngster has been instrumental in their comeback, executing coach Manpreet Singh’s plan to perfection and also helping in the defence. His confidence on the mat makes him the emerging raider of the week.

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The emerging defender of the week was Aman in the left corner of Bengaluru Bulls. The defender’s 10 points in 3 matches have given the Bulls much-need confidence in their fight for a playoff spot. The emerging all-rounder of the week is Patna Pirates’ defender Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh with 6 points in 2 matches.

5) Rivalry Week sparks intense battles

The Rivalry Week of PKL Season 8 has already produced extraordinary performances. Gujarat Giants got their revenge against Haryana Steelers for their early-season defeat by thrashing them 32-26. The battle for the biggest metro saw Dabang Delhi K.C. outclass U Mumba 36-30. That made it 2 wins for Delhi against Mumbai in Season 8. U.P. Yoddha had beaten Bengaluru Bulls 42-27 earlier in the season thanks to a defensive masterclass.

But the Bulls plotted the perfect vengeance plan by beating them 31-26 in the Rivalry week with their defenders Aman and Saurabh Nandal shining. All teams, including Telugu Titans, can qualify for the playoffs which should make the upcoming week an intense affair.

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