It is time for a battle royale as PKL Season 11’s playoffs week is all set to commence from December 26 at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi, Pune. In the fray for the top prize are Haryana Steelers and UP Yoddhas, both of whom have never won the title, and along with them are three-time champions Patna Pirates, Season 8 winners Dabang Delhi K.C., Season 1 & 9 title holders Jaipur Pink Panthers, and Season 2 champions U Mumba, who sealed qualification for the playoffs with the last game of the league stage. The playoff race going to the last match of the league stage is a testament to how competitive this season has been, setting the stage for an exciting final week for season 11, a release said.
Ahead of a week that is set to celebrate the sport of Kabaddi in more ways than one, the six coaches, Manpreet Singh (Haryana Steelers), Joginder Narwal (Dabang Delhi K.C.), Jasveer Singh (UP Yoddhas), Narender Redhu (Patna Pirates), Gholamreza Mazandarani (U Mumba) and Sanjeev Baliyan (Jaipur Pink Panthers) spoke at length at the Panga Roundtable, and touched upon various aspects of PKL Season 11. Staying true to the “Fan First” approach that has become synonymous with the PKL, also present at the engaging Panga Roundtable were the Super Fans, who made their presence felt too.
Table toppers Haryana Steelers, who are through to the semi-finals, are gunning for their first PKL title, and coach Manpreet Singh, who was full of praise for the Show-Stopper Mohammadreza Shadloui, said the team is like a family. “The players are all like my younger brothers, and we will work together, and leave no stone unturned when we play our semi-final. Having qualified for the Semi-final directly is a source of great motivation for the team before the final week, and for Haryana, a state which has won so many medals in other sports, it is the PKL title that remains elusive, and hopefully, we can win it.”
The Dabang Delhi K.C. have been one of the best teams this season and have stitched together a 15-match unbeaten streak, which helped them secure the second position on the points table. Having qualified for the semi-final already, coach Joginder Narwal, who has won the PKL title as a skipper in Season 8, spoke about the bond between his two co-captains – Ashu Malik and Naveen Kumar. “I have played with both Ashu and Naveen in the previous years in the PKL itself, and they are like best friends. The two of them have a great chemistry and always stick together, and that bond is visible on the mat also. The team is like a complete family, and going into the playoffs, they are all fit and in-form.”
The UP Yoddhas, who had to go back to the drawing board before the season began, has seen their young raiders and the defence step up in style. Coach Jasveer Singh said, “The team lost a couple of big players, but the core of the team remained together, and have worked hard as well.” When asked about how well his side has closed out a few tight contests, the coach explained, “Winning closely fought matches is not easy and it is more of a habit which one has to develop over time. We always train accordingly, so that on the matchday, the players know how to deal with the situation and the pressure.”
Three-time champions Patna Pirates’ Narender Redhu heaped praise on the dynamic and dangerous duo of Devank and Ayan, who have taken to the big stage like fish does to water. “Before the start of PKL Season 11, in our camps, we could see that Devank and Ayan will form a formidable pair for us as raiders. We had also seen them playing in other tournaments, and we are lucky in a way that they are both in our squad, and we have given them the freedom to play, and they have grabbed their opportunity with both hands.”
U Mumba stormed into the PKL Season 11 Playoffs with a superb win against the Bengal Warriorz in the final league stage game this season. Among the highlights for U Mumba this season has been that the young brigade have led from the front. Reflecting on the journey, U Mumba coach Gholamreza Mazandarani said, “We are very happy to have made it to the Playoffs. And the thing is the young players have done really well. They always want to do something different, like make a new record and have excellent energy as well. Players like Ajith Chauhan and Rohit Raghav are very skilful and the more they play at the highest level in PKL, they will continue to improve.”
Having finished sixth on the points table, the Jaipur Pink Panthers are looking for their third title. And coach Sanjeev Baliyan believes that the mentality and preparations for the Playoffs Week has to be different. He said, “The Playoffs is a different kettle of fish and there are no second chances like during the league stage. And moreover, to win the PKL title again, the whole squad has to play well, and support Arjun Deshwal. So far, whenever the team has needed it, there has been someone who has stepped up, especially if Arjun hasn’t had a good day, and it is essential to keep that going.”
Eliminator 1 will see the third placed UP Yoddhas take on the Jaipur Pink Panthers, who were sixth on the points table in the league stage. Both the sides have only one thing in mind, which is progressing to the semi-final, and will go all out for the win.
After that, in Eliminator 2, the most decorated team in the PKL, Patna Pirates, will play the U Mumba side, in what is a battle of the young raiders. Both sides have had a fantastic run of form during the league stage, and will be keen to make a splash in the final week of 2024 as well.
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