Why did Manjeet Chhillar struggle to garner interest in the Pro Kabaddi Season 8 auctions?
One of the biggest surprises on Day 2 of the Pro Kabaddi 2021 auction was when two-time Asian Games gold medallist Manjeet Chhillar went unsold. The three-time National Championship winner was eventually picked by Dabang Delhi K.C. for his base price of INR 20 lakh in the re-auction of unsold players’ segment.
However, it was a tad surprising to see the lack of interest for one of India’s finest kabaddi players. Lest we forget, Manjeet Chhillar with 339 points holds the record for most tackle points in the history of Pro Kabaddi and was once revered for his all-round skills leading to him fondly being called the One Man Army.
The One Man Army
After all, Manjeet did have a promising start to his PKL career with Bengaluru Bulls. He won the Defender of the Tournament award in the inaugural edition and then put on a brilliant show in Season 2 to lead Bengaluru Bulls to the final. His performances that season won him the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award despite coming up short in the final.
In Season 3, Manjeet Chhillar was bought by Puneri Paltan in the auction and finished the campaign with 106 points to top the list for defenders with the most points for the second time in three seasons.
The Arjuna awardee's meteoric rise fetched him a whopping INR 75.50 lakh contract with Jaipur Pink Panthers in Season 5 but it was with the inaugural champions that Manjeet’s fitness struggles started to surface. His prolonged injury struggles hampered Manjeet’s raiding prowess and invariably had a bearing on his performance as a defender too.
A fast-fading star
Since Season 5, Manjeet’s stock has plummeted drastically. After just one injury-marred season with Jaipur, Manjeet moved to Tamil Thalaivas but his fitness concerns and underwhelming performances continued with the southern franchise. Before too long, it became clear that Manjeet was no longer the all-conquering all-rounder from the first few PKL seasons.
Much to the contrary, he resembled something similar to a spent force with his best years on the mat well and truly behind him. His below-par performances have been reflected in the two auctions thereafter as Manjeet attracted bids worth less than one-third of his Season 5 price.
He managed 67 points from 19 games in Season 6 for Tamil Thalaivas and followed it up with 41 points across 15 matches in the next campaign for the southerners. With that in mind, it’s not much of a surprise that the 2016 World Cup winner was not among the priority buys for any of the teams in the auction.
One last dance
Eventually, Dabang Delhi K.C. took a gamble on him by buying him for his base price with the hope of one last hurrah from one of PKL’s first-ever superstars. However, make no mistake, the upcoming Pro Kabaddi season will probably be the last chance for Manjeet Chhillar to prove his mettle and the doubters wrong.
With most teams looking to blood youngsters in Season 8, it will be a challenge for Manjeet Chhillar to keep up with talents who are almost half his age and lack the wear and tear that comes with experience.
But going by the fighter that he’s been throughout his career, it’s safe to say that he won’t go out with a whimper as he looks to prove himself in what’s most likely his last dance on the mat before joining his contemporaries and fellow PKL legends like Anup Kumar and Rakesh Kumar in a different role like them on the bench.
PKL auction 2021 unsold players: Notable players who won’t feature in Pro Kabaddi Season 8
The highly-anticipated Pro Kabaddi League 2021 auction lived up to its billing with plenty of shocking changes, surprise snubs and record-setting acquisitions.
The three-day auction from August 29 to 31 saw teams break the bank to buy players while retaining some top talents. While there were a couple of players who breached the 1-crore mark, there were some big names who did not find any buyers among the 12 franchises.
Here, we take a look at some notable players who went unsold in the Season 8 auction and won’t feature once the league gets underway in December.
Ran Singh - All-Rounder
Former Tamil Thalaivas all-rounder and block specialist Ran Singh was a tad unlucky to not find a home at the Season 8 auction. He has played 120 matches, scoring a total of 335 points across the first seven seasons. The 33-year old is known for his all-round skills but his raid and tackle points dropped last season, which could be the reason why no team wanted to take a chance on him.
Mohit Chhillar - Defender
A versatile defender who operates mainly from the right corner position, Mohit Chhillar has played for five teams in the Pro Kabaddi League. His signature move the ‘Diving Thigh Hold’ has been the undoing of many a raider in past seasons. A champion with U Mumba in PKL’s second edition and top of the league for High 5s (6) in Season 3, Mohit managed just 68 tackle points over the last couple of campaigns, which is perhaps why no team wanted to put their faith in the right corner at the auctions.
Vishal Mane - Defender
Another big defensive name that failed to make it to any of the teams at the auction is that of Vishal Mane. He was at the peak of his powers in Season 5 and 6 with a total of 39 and 38 tackle points respectively. However, he managed just 27 tackle points last season and that seems to have plummeted his stock in the eyes of franchises. Having said that, Mane, who won the PKL title with U Mumba in Season 2, will believe that he still has plenty to offer despite being snubbed at the auction.
Nilesh Salunke - Raider
Specialising in the ‘Running Hand Touch’, Maharashtra-born raider Nilesh Salunke’s performances steadily declined in the last few PKL campaigns after being the second-best raider at Telugu Titans in Seasons 4 and 5. Salunke, who was just two points shy of 100 raid points in Season 5, collected 68 raid points last season and that could have sent the wrong impression to the franchises as they chose to ignore him at the auctions.
Rohit Baliyan - Raider
Rohit Baliyan missed out on getting picked by any franchise in the Season 8 auction. His successful raid point percentage dropped to 33.33 last season as opposed to 50 the year before. His dip in performance probably played a role in his auction snub although it’s still worth mentioning that his overall raid point percentage of 43.30 isn’t bad at all.
Shabeer Bappu - Raider
Kabaddi veteran and a core member of the title-winning U Mumbai side in Season 2, Shabeer Bappu had no takers after being released by Tamil Thalaiva just ahead of the Season 8 auction. He collected a mere seven raid points in Season 6 and followed it up with a slight improvement of 22 points in the next edition. At the age of 35, his dwindling form and advancing years might have gone against him at the auction.
Pro Kabaddi 2021 auction: Why Patna Pirates released Pardeep Narwal
Pardeep Narwal is Pro Kabaddi’s superstar. The prolific raider is the all-time leading points-scorer of the league, the only player to cross 1,000 raid points in his career, and averages nearly 11 raid points in a match.
Based on Pardeep Narwal’s average, a Super 10 is guaranteed in every match he plays. In fact, Pardeep Narwal is the only player to cross 50 Super 10s and 100 Super Raids.
But despite these mind-boggling numbers, Patna Pirates decided to let go of his star raider ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2021 auction.
It marks the first time Pardeep Narwal will be bid for during a Pro Kabaddi auction, as Patna Pirates had retained the burly Haryana raider in the previous seasons.
It is believed that Pardeep Narwal’s salary is worth Rs 60 lakhs, far from the seven-member crore club of PKL, making him one of the cost-effective players in the league. So, why was Pardeep let go?
Why was Pardeep Narwal released by Patna Pirates?
There are the possible theories:
Pardeep Narwal and Patna Pirates have had a fallout. While there are no indications that the team and player had a disagreement, at least publicly, things may have been different behind the scenes.
Pardeep Narwal wants to boost his net worth. If anyone is worth making over a crore in Pro Kabaddi, it’s Pardeep Narwal. Having himself in the Pro Kabaddi player auction pool will allow rival teams to bid for him and boost his net worth in the league. Patna Pirates can always buy him back with the Final Bid Match card. Pardeep Narwal’s last-known PKL salary was Rs 60 lakhs.
Patna Pirates wants to change squad strategy. For long, coach Ram Mehar Singh and Patna Pirates have relied on Pardeep Narwal leading the attack of the team and bailing them out often. Patna Pirates may want to change that with an eye on the future and field a well-balanced squad rather than lean heavily on one raider.
Potential injury or fitness issue. Perhaps Patna Pirates knows a little more about Pardeep Narwal than the rest. A long-term injury or fitness issue could be a cause of concern for the three-time PKL champions and the team wants to offload its potential liabilities for Season 8.
Most shocking player releases by franchises in Pro Kabaddi history
The past seven seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) have witnessed some surprising releases by teams ahead of the auctions. Most recently, it was Pardeep Narwal’s release by three-time PKL champions Patna Pirates ahead of PKL 8 that shocked fans and pundits alike.
Aging players, underwhelming performances and salary purses are just some of the reasons behind surprising player releases and here’s a list of a few shock releases by franchises over the years.
Rahul Chaudhari (Telugu Titans to Tamil Thalaivas)
Rahul Chaudhari parting ways with Telugu Titans ahead of Season 7 was one of the most surprising releases in the history of PKL. A top point scorer (150) in Season 4, the UP-born Chaudhari rose through the ranks with the Titans, establishing himself as one of the poster boys of PKL.
Rahul scored over 850 points in his career for the Hyderabad franchise and helped them reach the semi-finals twice in Seasons 2 and 4. However, he did not have the best of displays by his standards in his first season for Tamil Thalaivas, scoring just 138 points across 22 games.
Siddharth Desai (U Mumba to Telugu Titans)
Siddharth Desai’s release by U Mumba ahead of the Season 7 auction raised a few eyebrows within kabaddi circles. The 6 ft. 2-inch raider had a fantastic debut season with U Mumba scoring 221 points across 21 matches to finish the league as the third-best raider.
Desai, one of the emerging stars of PKL 6 was a menace on the court for opposition defences, scoring 10.38 points per match on average. The towering raider continued his stellar form with Telugu Titans and ended Season 7 as their top raider with 220 points. He was the lone bright spark in what was an otherwise disappointing season for Telugu Titans.
Rohit Kumar (Patna Pirates to Bengaluru Bulls)
Soon after winning their maiden PKL title, Patna Pirates shocked kabaddi enthusiasts by releasing star raider and the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the league at the time, Rohit Kumar ahead of the Season 4 auction. Rohit and Pardeep were the ace raiders for the PKL 3 champions, scoring the bulk of the raid points for the team.
In the end, Rohit’s absence did not count for much as Pardeep rose to the challenge and didn’t allow the Pirates to feel his absence thanks to some spectacular performances. Bengaluru Bulls, meanwhile, benefitted largely from Rohit’s addition as he was their top raider for the next two seasons with a total of 100 and 231 points respectively.
Deepak Hooda (Puneri Paltan to Jaipur Pink Panthers)
All-rounder Deepak Hooda’s release by Puneri Paltan was a big move that caught kabaddi enthusiasts off guard ahead of Season 6. Deepak was the leading raider for Puneri Paltan in PKL 5 and had led them to second position in the Zone A standings that season.
However, ever since Deepak Hooda was allowed to join Jaipur Pink Panthers from the Maharashtra-based franchise, Puneri Paltan have failed to reach the knock-out stages. Deepak hasn’t enjoyed the best of fortunes since his move to Jaipur Pink Panthers either with the all-rounder failing to lead his team into the playoffs despite performing well himself as 208 and 158 points in his two campaigns with the pink franchise demonstrates.
Monu Goyat (Patna Pirates to Haryana Steelers)
Monu Goyat was one of the key players for the Patna Pirates team that won their third consecutive PKL title in 2017. He along with Pardeep Narwal scored a whopping 560 raid points between them and were instrumental to the team’s title charge that season.
However, despite his stellar performance in a supporting role for Pardeep, Patna Pirates chose to release him for PKL 6. The void left by Monu’s departure is yet to be filled by Patna Pirates as was visible last season. After joining Haryana from Patna Pirates for Season 6, Monu went on to score 164 points for the Steelers in his only season with the franchise.
Pro Kabaddi comeback? Why Surender Nada, Jasvir Singh could hold the edge in PKL 8 player auction
The upcoming Pro Kabaddi 2021 auction is set to feature some prominent names from the league. Among them are a few players who made a massive impact in the earlier seasons but were unfortunate to miss out from the last edition.
Here we look at a few players who could make a comeback in Pro Kabaddi League season 8 and why they could be key during the PKL 8 auction, provided they make the cut in the final player list.
1. Surender Nada
Surender Nada failed to recover from his injury and missed the entire PKL 7 season after being snapped for INR 77 lakhs by Patna Pirates in the auction. Nada’s absence cost the three-time PKL champions dearly as they failed to reach the knockout stages of the tournament.
However, the 2016 World Cup winner will be eager to make a comeback this time around and could be one of the major attractions in Pro Kabaddi 2021 auctions.
2. Jasvir Singh
Jasvir Singh is one of the veterans of Pro Kabaddi League. He was instrumental in Jaipur Pink Panthers winning the maiden PKL trophy in season 1.The stalwart has played at the highest level and has been a part of memorable wins which include the 2014 Asia Cup win at Incheon and the 2016 World Cup win at Ahmedabad.
Given his vast experience, Jasvir Singh could fetch some interest in the upcoming PKL 2021 auction.
3. Kashiling Adake
Kashiling Adake will be hoping to make a comeback after going unsold in PKL 7 auction. The lanky raider took the tournament by storm in the first few seasons of the league and went on to win the ‘Best Raider Award’ in season 2.
One of the first exponents of the Frog Jump, Kashiling Adake will hope to seek interest in the PKL 8 auction.
4. Mahendra Rajput
Mahendra Rajput is another player who could be on the radar of a few teams in Pro Kabaddi 2021 auction. The tall-raider has the knack of changing the course of the match within seconds and could be an X-factor.
Rajput’s 5-point Super Raid against U Mumba in season 6 was one of the top moments in the league that year.
5. Ajay Kumar
Once regarded as a Do-or-Die specialist, Ajay Kumar had a dream PKL debut for Jaipur Pink Panthers in season 4, winning the ‘Emerging Player of the Season’ award. The Services raider carried his stupendous form in season 5 and crossed the 150-point mark.
The 2016 Senior National Gold medalist will hope to be a part of the marquee event this year.
Best raiders from senior kabaddi nationals 2021: Deepak Hooda, Vijay Malik in honours list
Rajasthan captain Deepak Hooda emerged as the most successful raider in the recently-concluded 68th Senior National Kabaddi Championship held in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.
In the five matches he played, Deepak Hooda scored a whopping 81 raid points, which included four successive Super 10s.
Deepak scored a massive 23 raid points against Karnataka in the quarter-finals and in the round of 16 match, he scored 15 raid points in Rajasthan’s win over Bihar.
On Wednesday, Deepak scored an astounding 24 raid points in a match against Vidarbha. His other Super 10 came against Punjab in the group stages.
Naveen Kumar was the next best raider in the senior kabaddi nationals. He scored 76 raid points in seven matches for Services, who lost in the final to defending champions Indian Railways.
His efforts included four Super 10s, twice managing 14 raid points in successive matches against Haryana in the group and then Tamil Nadu in the round of 16. Naveen scored 12 in the semis against Maharashtra and eight in the final.
Chandigarh’s Vijay Malik too recorded four Super 10s, in only five matches. He accumulated 63 raid points, including a best of 17 in a match against Telangana in his team’s opening game.
Vijay Malik was also impressive in the quarters against eventual champions Indian Railways, scoring 12 raid points. Chandigarh lost the competitive match 30-34.
Pawan Sehrawat may have only scored 56 raid points in six matches but he held back in the first three games, where he made only 19 raid attempts combined to score a total of 12 raid points. Against Uttarakhand in the round of 16, the Indian Railways captain made only two attempts and didn’t score.
However, Pawan Sehrawat was frequent on the mat from the quarter-final onwards. Against Chandigarh in the quarters, he made 22 raid attempts and scored 14 raid points. He followed it up with 12 against Rajasthan in the semis and saved his best for the final with 18 raid points against Services, marking three straight Super 10s.
Services’ Manjeet Dahiya scored 55 raid points in seven matches, with a game-high of 11 thrice. His performance, however, fizzled out towards the end scoring just four points in two matches in the semis and the final
Rathan K of Karnataka also scored 55 raid points with three Super 10s, but he achieved it in five matches. It included a massive haul of 23 raid points against Delhi. He also impressed in the losing quarters match against Rajasthan with 13.
Four of the top six raiders in the Senior National Kabaddi Championship 2021 play in the Pro Kabaddi league (PKL). Deepak Hooda is in the Jaipur Pink Panthers, Naveen Kumar for Dabang Delhi KC, Pawan Sehrawat for Bengaluru Bulls and Manjeet for Puneri Paltan.
Players who took part in the nations were being scouted for the Indian national kabaddi team.
Senior National Kabaddi Championship 2021: Top raiders
Kabaddi: The origin, history and evolution of the sport
The history of kabaddi can be traced back to some 4,000 years ago in India. And while it has had roots in the country all this time, its spread hasn’t been as deep.
However, the advent of Pro Kabaddi in 2014 managed to urbanize the rural game into a 21st-century thriller and the sport hasn’t looked back since. In fact, it remains one of the most-watched sports in cricket-crazy India.
Kabaddi is said to have started as a form of practicing combat moves for battles and wars in ancient times.
“It is believed that kabaddi was invented to develop defensive responses by an individual against group attacks and group’s responses to an individual attack,” according to the . In fact, the game of kabaddi starts with a single raider going into the opponent’s side, which comprises seven defenders.
“This is the only combative sport in which offence is an individual effort whereas defence is a group effort,” the WKF pointed out.
Kabaddi history in the Mahabharata
Deeply rooted in Indian culture for centuries, kabaddi has even found a mention in Hindu mythology. In the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata, It is said that the Pandava warrior, Arjuna, mastered kabaddi’s skills from Lord Krishna, who adored the sport. The story goes that Arjuna would breach enemy walls inconspicuously and would walk back unscathed with his kabaddi skills.
T 1568 -It is said that the sport of was created in remembrance of Abhimanyu the Warrior from Mahabharta !
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan)
Another tale from the Mahabharata involves Arjuna’s son, Abhimanyu, who invaded the seven-tiered defence -- an army formation -- of the Kauravas. It draws sporting parallels to a single raider raiding in the opposition side of the mat, which often has seven defenders.
Apart from Mahabharata, it is also believed that Lord Gautam Buddha used to play kabaddi during his leisure time.
Kabaddi’s origin: India or Iran?
It is a popular belief that kabaddi originated from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In India, the sport had different names in different states before its establishment as the sport it’s recognised today. It was called Chedugudu or Hu-Tu-Tu in the southern part of the country, while it was referred to as Hadudu (for men) and Kit-Kit (for women) in the east.
Some argue that the sport originated in Iran about 5,000 years ago. “My hometown, Sistan, was where it was first found,” claimed Meraj Sheykh, a notable kabaddi player from Iran.
“Several ancient books spoke about it too. We were the original founders of the game, not India,” Meraj told ESPN India.
It wasn’t until the early 20th centurythat the sport finally got its recognition. In 1918, the first official rules and regulations of kabaddi were brought into effect before it was declared as the national sport of India. However, it took five years to print those documents for circulation.
In 1923, an all India tournament of kabaddi was held in Baroda and since then, several national-level tournaments have been organised across the country.
Kabaddi in Olympics and Asian Games
Kabaddi in India got its first international exposure during the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Although the sport wasn’t officially a part of the sporting extravaganza, a 35-member kabaddi team from Hanuman Vyayam Prasarak Mandal (HVPM), an educational institute in Amravati, was invited to demonstrate the antics in Berlin.
The team performed at the Congress of Physical Education a day before the commencement of the Olympics leaving spectators amused. The team, eventually, received medals on the final day of the Berlin Olympics.
The widespread recognition of the sport saw the establishment of the All India Kabaddi Federation (AIKF) in 1950, which staged the first men's and women’s national tournament in 1955 in Chennai and Kolkata respectively, after running it as a demonstration sport in the inaugural 1951 Asian Games.
In 1972, the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) was formed to promote the game in India’s neighbouring countries. The decision bore fruit as the first Asian Kabaddi Championship was held in 1980 where Japan, Nepal, Malaysia, Bangladesh and India contested. The Indian national kabaddi team defeated Bangladesh in the final to become the first-ever champion.
In 1982, the game was once again added as a demonstration sport in the 1982 Asian Games before it was finally established as a medal sport in the 1990 Asiad. India have always been a superior side in the Asian Games, winning all but one of the eight finals since 1990. It wasn’t until 2018 that their winning streak was halted by Iran in the final.
Kabaddi World Cup offers glory
Eventually, the sport made way for the Kabaddi World Cup in 2004, which was hosted by India in Mumbai.
Twelve teams participated in the competition, and the Indian kabaddi team asserted its domination by going unbeaten throughout the tournament before lifting the title by defeating Iran 56-28 in the final.
to when & Co. led Team to victory in the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup 3⃣ years ago.
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia)
Till date, as many as three Kabaddi World Cups (standard style) have been hosted -- all in India -- and all the three finals have seen India beating Iran for the trophy. The 2016 Kabaddi World Cup, however, holds a special place in the sport as this was the first time a world cup for women was hosted.
Pro Kabaddi takes it to the masses
However, it wasn’t until 2014 that the sport got its due. The start of Pro Kabaddi elevated the status of the sport manifold by taking a rural pastime to primetime television nationwide. Till date, as many as seven PKL seasons have been played and as many as five different teams have lifted the title.
In its seven seasons, stars likes Anup Kumar, Pardeep Narwal, Rahul Chaudhari, Deepak Niwas Hooda and Ajay Thakur have dominated the sport in raiding, while Manjit Chhillar, Ravinder Pahal, Fazel Atrachali and Sandeep Narwal have been solid at the back.
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A sport that has its roots bestowed in India has come a long way, and it is certain to make massive strides in the years to come. As per Google’s ‘Year in Search 2019’ report, the Pro Kabaddi league generated a whopping nine per cent growth in viewership with 1.2 billion impressions. It thus became the second-most searched tournament in India after the Cricket World Cup in 2019. This comes down to show the growth this sport has made over the years.
Pro Kabaddi final: What happened in every summit match
Since its inception in 2014, the Pro Kabaddi league(PKL) has laid an astute foundation for the rural sport in the country. Over the years, as many as five different teams have emerged victorious in seven Pro Kabaddi finalmatchesand not a single summit encounter has disappointed.
Brimming with action and drama, kabaddi has made some major headways in the last decade and PKL has played a key role in it. With that being said, here we look at what transpired in the Pro Kabaddi finals.
Season 7 Pro Kabaddi final 2019: Bengal Warriors vs Dabang Delhi K.C.
The seventh season of the Pro Kabaddi League had replaced the experimental caravan league format with the traditional double round-robin one, where each team played everyone else twice. Dabang Delhi and Bengal Warriors were the top two teams in the league stages and would eventually qualify for the Pro Kabaddi 2019 final as well.
While Dabang Delhi were banking on an enigmatic Naveen Kumar, the youngest PKL player to score more than 300 raid points, to fetch them their maiden title, Bengal Warriors had a master tactician in coach BC Ramesh, who had won the league with Bengaluru Bulls in the previous season.
Dabang Delhi were the favourites at the EKA Arena by Transstadia and they started like one by leading 6-0 early on and solidifying it further to 14-8. However, back-to-back points for Bengal Warriors - which included an all-out as well - saw them level the score at 16-16. The clash remained neck-in-neck for most of the remaining game, before Bengal Warriors beat Dabang Delhi 39-34 with their rock-solid defence.
Naveen Kumar’s 18 raid points was Dabang Delhi’s highlight that night while back-to-back title-winning BC Ramesh had proved that a kabaddimatch was as much a coach’s game as it was of the players’.
Season 6 Pro Kabaddi final 2018: Bengaluru Bulls vs Gujarat Fortunegiants
After winning consecutive titles since 2016, Patna Pirates hadn’t featured in the summit clash for the first time in three seasons. Instead, it was Bengaluru Bulls and Gujarat Fortunegiants in the 2018 Pro Kabaddi final.
Pardeep Narwal’s unparalleled dominance, which left everyone in awe in the past few seasons, was starting to mellow down as well. Meanwhile, Bengaluru Bulls’ Pawan Sehrawat picked up the mantle of some prolific scoring. Banking on the youngster’s stupendous form, Bengaluru Bulls topped their zone by quite a margin and after beating Gujarat Fortunegiants in the group stages once, they were favourites to win the title.
However, the momentum didn’t stop Bengaluru Bulls from trailing 9-16 at half-time of the final before they turned up the heat. The Bulls’ second-half saw them executing two all outs and a Super 10 to clinch the title by beating Gujarat Fortunegiants 38-33 in the final.
Season 5 Pro Kabaddi final 2017: Patna Pirates vs Gujarat Fortunegiants
The fifth season of Pro Kabaddi had seen the competition expanding to 12 teams from eight as Gujarat Fortunegiants, UP Yoddha, Haryana Steelers and Tamil Thalaivas were drafted in. It was in this season that the caravan league format was introduced with games in the league stages getting divided into two zones.
Clubbed in Zone B, Patna Pirates had finished second and had to see off Haryana Steelers, Puneri Paltan and Bengal Warriors to reach the final for the third consecutive time. A prolific Pardeep Narwal was at his peak and was coming to the final by scoring most points in a single raid (8) in the Eliminator 2 match against Haryana Steelers.
Our victory rally in Patna was amazing. Our fans showed up in big numbers to support us. Here's a small video for the fans who missed out on the action.
— Patna Pirates (@PatnaPirates)
While Patna Pirates was largely a one-man team, Gujarat Fortunegiants reached the final with a team display. But, Pardeep Narwal was unparalleled that night, scoring an unreal 19 raid points. Though Gujarat Fortunegiants raiders Mahendra Rajput and Rohit Gulia kept picking regular points, the team was no match for Patna Pirates who won 55-38.
Season 4 Pro Kabaddi final 2016: Patna Pirates vs Jaipur Pink Panthers
Patna Pirates became the first PKL side to defend their title in season 4, despite making a slow start to their campaign. Though they had topped their group, four losses in the group stages had fans unconvinced about their ability to recreate the previous season’s magic.
However, it was at this juncture that Pardeep Narwal had started to rise. Though Rahul Chaudhari was the best raider that season, Narwaltook the MVP after almost single-handedly delivering Patna Pirates the title.
In the summit clash, Patna Pirates faced Jaipur Pink Panthers, who had developed a reputation for being a giant-killer that season.
And... the moment went down in history!
— Patna Pirates (@PatnaPirates)
However, an unstoppable Pardeep Narwal was hardly bothered by that as he would complete a Super 10 in the second half of the match and end the final with 16 raid points to guide his side to a comfortable 37-39 win.
Season 3 Pro Kabaddi final 2016: U Mumba vs Patna Pirates
PKL season 3 will always be remembered for Patna Pirates’ emergence to halt the domineering run of defending champions U Mumba, who had qualified for the third consecutive Pro Kabaddi final in 2016. There were two editions of Pro Kabaddi League in 2016 - from January to March, and June to July - and Patna Pirates had dominated the entire year.
Though U Mumba topped the table this edition, Patna Pirates had returned to face them in the final riding on a young Pardeep Narwal and Rohit Kumar’s brilliant form.
With a star-studded Mumbai side facing a vibrant Patna Pirates, the match promised thrill and the final scoreline of 31-28 rightly reflected that. After Patna Pirates had established a solid 19-6 lead, U Mumba had come back to level things at 28-28. However, a string of three consecutive points saw the defending champions lose out in the last hurdle.
While PKL season 3’s MVP Rohit Kumar had taken eight raid points in the final match, Sandeep Narwal’s High-5 had wrapped up the task for Patna Pirates.
Season 2 Pro Kabaddi final 2015: U Mumba vs Bengaluru Bulls
After a heartbreaking final match loss in PKL 2014, U Mumba were the favourites in the second season. And they had reached the final for the second consecutive time with Anup Kumar leading the proceedings with 74 raid points (most by any player that season).
However, U Mumba were not to be overconfident this time with Bengaluru Bulls standing in their way even though Anup Kumar’s brilliant captaincy had left little room for error for Mumbai.
Despite having PKL 2’s MVP Manjeet Chhillar on their side, Bengaluru Bulls made a slow start in the final and U Mumba needed just that. A sudden run of three consecutive points in the initial stages led Anup Kumar and Shabeer Bapu to capitalise on the situation.
After Anup Kumar’s super raid to establish a 23-18 lead had helped U Mumba shake off the early jitters, Bengaluru Bulls’ comeback didn’t matter. Even with the score reading 24-24, Shabeer Bapu and Anup Kumar kept raiding consistently to edge out the Bulls 36-30 and lift U Mumba’s first PKL title.
Season 1 Pro Kabaddi final 2014: Jaipur Pink Panthers vs U Mumba
Pro Kabaddi League’s debut season in 2014 had an unassuming Jaipur Pink Panthers rising above all to become the tournament’s first-ever champions. Winning 10 league games to reach the semi-finals, Jaipur had eased past Patna Pirates to set-up a mouth-watering final clash against tournament favourites U Mumba.
U Mumba’s captain and star player of the tournament Anup Kumar, who was adjudged the first MVP (most valuable player) of the league, was in terrific form and Jaipur had little chance for success in the final.
However, in Maninder Singh and Rohit Rana, the Pink Panthers had two big-game players who put up a superb show to stun Mumbai 35 - 24 on the night of the final. Maninder had ended up being the top raider (8 points) as well as the top defender (2 points) in that match.
After seven entertaining seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League, the eighth edition of the tournament had to be cancelled owing to the global pandemic. However, with tournaments like Indian Super League and I-League now getting organized in India inside the bio bubble, kabaddi fans would hope their favourite sport returns in 2021.
Burning Kabaddi debuts first episode: All you need to know about world’s first anime on kabaddi
The sport of kabaddi meets the world of anime as Shakunetsu Kabadi - known as Burning Kabaddi in English - debuted its first episode on April 3. This is the world’s first anime based on the sport that has its roots in India.
The series is centred around Tatsuya Yoigoshi, a former football ace who has given up sports after graduating from middle school. Tatsuya, however, is eventually scouted by Masato Ohjyo, the captain of the Noukin High School kabaddi club. Initially convinced that kabaddi is just a joke, Tatsuya develops an interest after attending a practice match and discovers that the sport is actually closer to a martial arts competition.
The TV anime series is slated for a 12-episode run, with a run time of 24 minutes for each episode. The manga for Shakunetsu Kabaddi, created by Hajime Musashino, debuted in 2015 on Shogakukan's Ura Sunday website and the MangaONE app. The series’ 16th tankōbon (independent book, not part of a series) volume debuted on March 18, 2021.
Burning Kabaddi’s TV anime adaptation is a major milestone for a sport that is slowly gaining popularity across the globe. Kabaddi, a contact sport that originated in India, has always played second fiddle against the likes of sports like cricket and hockey in the sub-continent but the introduction of the Pro Kabaddi league (PKL) opened up new avenues for kabaddi on the international stage.
The sport, which has a history of over 4,000 years, first gained international prominence at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin where it was performed as a demonstration event.
Since then, 31 countries - which includes Iran, Canada, England and the United States - have become members of the International Kabaddi Federation. India are the most successful side, with the men’s team winning nine World Cups (three in standard style and six in circle style) and the women’s team winning four World Cups in the circle style.
Kabaddi is the latest sport to get an anime adaptation, following the likes of judo, auto-racing, baseball, boxing and volleyball being the first sports to have their mangas adapted into either a full-length TV series, OVAs (original video animation), ONAs (original net animation) or films.
Some of the most prominent sports animes to have gained popularity across the world are Captain Tsubasa (football), Haikyuu (volleyball), Kuroko's Basketball (basketball), Ace of Diamond (baseball) and Free! (swimming).
Where to watch Burning Kabaddi live streaming in India?
Indian fans can watch streaming of the Burning Kabaddi anime series on the Ani-One Asia YouTube channel.
Remembering Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose through kabaddi
Kabaddi returned to the national circuit after a whopping nine-month-long hiatus owing to the global pandemic as Sahyog Kreeda Mandal in Gotegaon, a small town around 60km away from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, successfully conducted the 38th All India Men Kabaddi Championship (AIMKC) from 20th to 23rd January 2021.
AIMKC is a tournament that has been in existence since 1982, and for the past 37 years, it has been conducted on the same dates and the finals have always been played on January 23; the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Year 2021 marked the 125th birth Anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose and ONGC, Sonepat pipped Air Force, Delhi 38-24 to win the title, and a prize money of rupees 3 lakhs in absolute style.
Going back in history, Subhas Chandra Bose shares a deep relationship with Jabalpur as he attended the Tripuri Congress Convention from March 4 to 11, 1939 despite not being down with a severe fever.
Even the Central Jails in Jabalpur is named after the famed freedom fighter as he was imprisoned there twice. Bose was first brought into this jail on May 30, 1932, and was sent to Madras on July 16. He made his second trip on February 18 1933 and after being diagnosed with tuberculosis, he was sent to Europe on March 22 1933.
Residents of Jabalpur share a special bond with Subhas Chandra Bose. Several buildings, even the jail, where he was imprisoned, as well as a medical college, is named after him. On his 125th birth anniversary, Sahyog Kreeda Mandal inaugurated a statue of Subash Chandra Bose.
AIMKC is known for being an extremely competitive tournament. Almost three to four players who are/have played in the Pro Kabaddi League remain a part of each team. Last year, as many as 72 PKL were a part of the competition.
List of prizes in All India Men Kabaddi Championship:
1st Prize - 3 Lakhs and a shield
2nd Prize - 2 Lakhs and a shield
3rd Prize - 1 Lakhs and a shield
Best Raider - 11K
Best Defender - 11K
Best Player - 11K
This year, ONGC, Sonepat dominated the final right from the beginning and broke little sweat to get the better of Air Force Delhi.
