Two-thirds of the Pro Kabaddi League's 11th season is done, and with the Noida leg witnessing 44 tightly contested games, we are closer to finding out who will make the playoffs as the season concludes in Pune.
Haryana Steelers have been the only consistent force so far, but with seven other teams in the mix for the other five playoff spots - and three having an outside chance - it's been a thrilling season of kabaddi.
Here's how every team has performed this season so far (grades only for the second leg in Noida):
Haryana Steelers
Grade: A+
From seventh in the table after the Hyderabad leg, Manpreet Singh's Steelers have simply rocketed up the standings to first, opening a nine-point lead to boot. Eight wins from nine games in Noida have been the cause, with the loss to the Telugu Titans their only blemish.
They were already the league's best defensive outfit, and Mohammadreza Shadloui's stellar form (51 tackle points) has meant it's incredibly hard to score on the Steelers. Raiding was a bit of an issue in Hyderabad, but the trio of Vinay (108 points), Shivam Patare (89 points) and Shadloui (87 points) have ensured that they have become the most feared outfit in the league.
Steelers ended the Noida leg with a point differential of +78 from their eight wins, and the next seven in Pune seem all set for another spell of victories. The playoffs are all but a certainty, and should they keep up their form, Manpreet Singh's side look all set to bring home a first title.
Patna Pirates
Grade: A
Patna Pirates have flown up the table with five wins from eight in Noida - but it's been the manner of those wins that have left jaws dropped. They earned a massive +85 point difference from those wins, even while the Noida leg also saw them lose two and tie one.
It's easy enough to explain the Pirates' form - they have the league's best scorer in Devank Dalal (194 points) and alongside Ayan Lohchab (128 points) they have the best raiding unit in PKL 11. This youthful left-right pairing have been a destructive force that are rarely halted. However, the Paltan's focus on scoring hasn't stopped defenders like Ankit Jaglan from collecting an impressive 47 tackle points.
These pages said the title was unlikely for this outfit at the end of the Hyderabad leg but given Devank's consistency (11 Super 10s from 15 games), they have quite the chance when they do make the playoffs. Let's put it this way, the Pirates are a team most want to avoid; and that only speaks volumes of how good they've been.
Dabang Delhi
Grade: A-
Three ties, three wins - Dabang Delhi left Noida extending their season's unbeaten run to eight, thanks in no small part to Naveen Kumar's return. This doesn't mean that Ashu Malik has slowed down to let the Naveen Express by, if anything he's only been buoyed to greater heights, with 12 Super 10s from 15 games - the best in the league.
With 164 raid points, he's the second-best in the league, and Dabang Delhi's climb from fourth to third in the standings signifies that they can take on quality defence in the playoffs. Yogesh Dahiya's defensive prowess has meant that even when the raiding unit doesn't work, Delhi still are in with a chance, as evidenced by their penchant for ties.
Their final seven games in Pune aren't the easiest, but Delhi have the calibre to beat anyone on their day - which should be enough to make the playoffs.
Telugu Titans
Grade: B
The Titans are capable of inflicting a massive 22-point loss on league leaders Haryana Steelers without their talisman Pawan Sehrawat one day and then go on to lose to second-from-bottom Gujarat Giants five days later. It's no secret that Pawan's absence has been felt of late, despite four wins in Noida from seven. It's an inconsistency that's seen them go from second to fourth, although they remain quite likely to make the playoffs.
Incredibly Pawan's 95 points from 9 games still has him in the top 10 point-scorers of the league, despite others playing six games more. Vijay Malik has taken up primary raiding duties in Pawan's absence and has the same number of Super 10s now (6) while eclipsing him in points (126). Sagar Sethpal Rawal remains a powerhouse in defence, although the Titans remain worryingly likely to concede all-outs (they are the second worst in the league).
Still, this is a far cry from last season, and Krishan Kumar Hooda deserves credit for fashioning an outfit that looks all set to make the playoffs.
Puneri Paltan
Grade: D
The rails have come off the Paltan in the Noida leg, with the defending champions dropping from first place at the end of the Hyderabad leg to fifth in Noida. They got just two wins from seven and they came against Bengal Warriors and Gujarat Giants who 10th and 11th in the standings. Two losses to the Panthers, a blowout loss against table-toppers Steelers and two costly ties against Delhi and the Yoddhas have seen Puneri Paltan plummet in the standings.
Aslam Inamdar's injury has been a bridge too far for the defending champions, even if Pankaj Mohite claims otherwise - and his 75 points have been quietly impressive. However, the defence has struggled (aside from Gaurav Khatri), even though they have been second best in the league at inflicting all-outs. It would be the quite the surprise if they miss out on the playoffs, but if the downward trend continues, that could be a possibility for the defending champions.
Jaipur Pink Panthers
Grade: B
Jaipur won five of their eight games in Noida, including impressive victories twice over the Telugu Titans and Puneri Paltan. However, it's the blowout losses to Dabang Delhi and Haryana Steelers that raise questions about their ability against the league's best teams.
Arjun Deshwal became the second-youngest player ever to cross the 1100 raid point mark and is the third-best raider in the league currently (165 points, 7 Super 10s). His consistency is a bankable option for coach Sanjeev Baliyan, who has seen his defence struggle against top raiders. Should they make the playoffs, which is fairly likely, Jaipur will have to ensure that their defensive prowess matches that of Deshwal if they are to win the title.
U Mumba
Grade: C
On paper, U Mumba may be seventh in the table, but it's a bit of a misnomer since they have played one game fewer than the six teams above. Win that, and U Mumba climb to third - which is where they were at the end of the Hyderabad leg. It's a testament to how tight the league is, and U Mumba are becoming specialists at narrow wins. Their four wins in Noida only came via a +8 point differential, and it's that penchant for keeping their nerve that could prove crucial in the playoffs.
Captain Sunil Kumar's young guns, led by Ajit Chouhan (114 points, 5 Super 10s) are the league's dark horses, since they can surprise anyone on their day. However, the two losses to Telugu Titans in Noida should give Iranian coach Gholamreza Mazandarani pause, as should a blowout loss against league leaders Haryana Steelers.
One word to describe this moment �� ������������ ��
Manjeet set the stage for U Mumba's win with a brilliant super tackle ��#ProKabaddi #PKL11 #LetsKabaddi #ProKabaddiOnStar #UMumba pic.twitter.com/E8hxBUzgLv
- ProKabaddi (@ProKabaddi) November 26, 2024
UP Yoddhas
Grade: B-
Tenth after the Hyderabad leg, eighth after the Noida leg - the UP Yoddhas have improved a fair bit, and with four wins and a tie from seven games in front of their home crowd, they have a shot at the playoffs, only trailing sixth place by three points and with a game in hand.
Bharat Hooda's form has been crucial to the Yoddhas' uptick in fortunes - he's the second-best all-rounder in the league so far, although he's mainly scored with his raiding. Bhavani Rajput's raiding (78 points) and Sumit Sangwan's tackling prowess (47 points) have backed up Hooda's feats, and after impressive wins over the Panthers, Titans and Pirates, it seems like the Yoddhas might actually make the playoffs this season.
Tamil Thalaivas
Grade: D
The Tamil Thalaivas maddening inconsistency continued in Noida, where they lost to the UP Yoddhas by 16 points and then defeated the same team by 14 points four days later. The Thalaivas have a 13-point deficit to the playoff spots, with only seven games remaining - which ought to see them miss out.
Narender Kandola and Sachin Tanwar's raiding form has dipped, which has seen them drop from 5th and 6th in the raid point rankings to 13th and 20th. Kandola's injury further complicates matters, since it's clear that this is the area where the Thalaivas have suffered. Nitesh Kumar's 51 tackle points (one shy of the league's best) has seen the franchise earn the most tackle points in the league (183). Moein Shafaghi's recent form could see the Thailavas make a bid for the playoff spots, but it seems unlikely at the moment.
Bengal Warriorz
Grade: F
Bengal Warriorz have crashed from fifth in the standings at the end of the Hyderabad leg to tenth currently. Noida proved an unhappy hunting ground, as the Warriorz lost all seven of their games here, with a score difference of -79 seeing them plummet down the table.
Nitin Kumar has emerged as the team's best raider, even though Maninder Singh became only the second player in PKL history to cross 1500 raid points in their most recent game. Along with Fazel Atrachali, the Warriorz's big names have performed relatively well, but the lack of impact from the supporting cast as well as unfortunate choices in the closing moments have seen them go on a seven-game losing streak. Even if the Pune leg witnesses a change in fortunes, they may be too far gone to earn a playoff spot.
Mighty Mani is simply ��̲̅��̲̅��̲̅��̲̅��̲̅ ��♂️#ProKabaddi #LetsKabaddi #ProKabaddiOnStar #PKL11 pic.twitter.com/nfU1UOZfUz
- ProKabaddi (@ProKabaddi) December 1, 2024
Gujarat Giants
Grade: C
Gujarat Giants have bounced back quite well in Noida, winning three and tying one of their eight games, but the damage done in Hyderabad has meant they are unlikely to make the playoff spots. To overcome a gap of 20 points with eight games left might just be too much.
Coach Ram Meher Singh can give thanks to the Bengal Warriorz for this uptick in fortunes, with two wins against them in Noida. Guman Singh starred in those wins, and it's no surprise that he's finally repaying the amount spent on him to climb to eighth in the points scored rankings (110). The Giants finally look like a cohesive outfit, and while they may not be in the playoffs themselves, they could prove pivotal in deciding who gets there.
Bengaluru Bulls
Grade: F
The Bulls played seven games in Noida and lost all of them. Only their two matches against U Mumba were close, losing the first by a point and the next by two, but for most of the season, they've been blown away by the opposition. They've conceded the most points in the league (595), and the next worse team is better off by 60 points.
It's a testimony to their lack of options that Pardeep Narwal is their top-scoring raider with 68 points - a total bettered by 18 other raiders in the league. Nitin Rawal is a lone bright spot, leading the league in tackle points (52), but the Bulls penchant for conceding all-outs means they're unlikely to finish anything but last come the end of the season.