The 2016 Kabaddi World Cup is on the brink of its final encounter, a showdown between the two powerhouses of the sport, India and Iran.The road to the finale has been contrasting for the two rivals, Iran secured their place in the finals after defeating the South Koreans in a thrilling contest with a scoreline of 28-22. On the other hand, the Indians have entered the finals on the back of a thumping 70-23 victory over Thailand in the semi-finals.
Come 8 PM on Saturday, the mightiest of all kabaddi recruits will lock horns to claim the glory and crown at stake on the global stage. Sportskeeda looks at the 5 players who can leave their mark on the finals:
#5 Fazel Atrachali
The smiling assasin from Iran has a menacing presence in the left corner. Replete with defending skills, name any move, be it an ankle hold, thigh hold, or a body block, Fazel can execute it to perfection. Having already claimed 18 tackle points in addition to a surprising 8 raid points as well, he adds another dimension to the Iranian squad.
In the semi-finals against Korea, he was unusually calm, returning with just one successful tackle, but in the finals one can be assured that he will come out all guns blazing. Having the experience of playing in the Pro Kabaddi, the Iranian import in the League will have an upper hand, for he shall benefit from the knowledge that he already has about the Indian players like Anup Kumar, Dharmaraj Cheralathan, Surender Nada amongst others.
The Best Defender in the last edition of PKL, Fazel will play an instrumental role in his teams’ success at the Kabaddi World Cup.
#4 Manjeet Chhillar
The lion-hearted all-rounder, is known to bring out his best in crunch games. If a raider fall into his clutches, it is next to impossible to carve out an escape route. He waits for the rival raiders to fall into his trap and pounces at the ideal time; with the block, dash and thigh hold being his most lethal moves.
Such is his repute, that he was drafted into the starting 7 since the very first fixture and has since showcased his brute strength to put down the raiders with a solo effort on his part. His numbers in Pro Kabaddi speak volumes of his skills, having claimed over 400 points in 4 editions of the League, he is the only player to average a 100 points in the tournament.
At the World Cup, he has played as an out-an-out cover defender, with 3 High 5’s to his name, he sits atop the leaderboard with the most number of Succesful Tackles, 21 at that! The Irani raiders will have to unstabilize his threat and presence in order to keep their scoreboard ticking.
#3 Pardeep Narwal
The young raid machine entered the tournament in red-hot form, and has carried it through the course of the tournament. The “dupki master” as he is fondly called for his ability to put in an agile dive from underneath the defender and escape from his hold, has shined at the World Cup in the raiding department.
The 19-year old from Sonipat, the kabaddi capital of India, has 47 points already to his name and impressed in the semi-finals. Against Thailand, he claimed his second Super 10, and also showcased his ability of gathering points in heaps with a couple of Super Raids.
The man has amassed more than a century of points in the last two seasons of Pro Kabaddi and guided his team Patna Pirates to the title in each one of them. This is no mean feat, and he will undoubtedly be eager to repeat the same accomplishment in the Blue jersey for India.
#2 Meraj Sheykh
The man hailing from Sistan in Iran, a place he calls the ‘birthplace’ of world kabaddi, has put on spectacular display of skills and talent galore not only at the World Cup but also in the Pro Kabaddi League to be a threatening force in the Iranian squad.
The skipper has led the war cry for the “gold medal” at the World Cup right from the beginning, and his all round play in the defense and attack alike has been testimony to the fact that he has dedicated all his efforts and play to clinch the crown for his country.
In the semi finals against Thailand, he emerged on top as the leading scorer with 7 points in a match where every other player could not even manage to claim even 5 points for themselves.
In the post match conference, Meraj exuded sheer, unnerving confidence when he said that,"It is going to be an easy victory for us. We are here to win the trophy, no matter what, no matter how strong our opponents are. It is all ours." Thus, if words are anything to go by, the Indian team should surely have their strategies and tactics well in place for the Iranian.
#1 Ajay Thakur
One man who can steal the thunder in a blitz from the rival team is India’s tall, talismanic raider Ajay Thakur. With 52 raid points, he is second on the leadeboard for most raid points, and is tipped to go past and claim the first position in the finals.
The lanky raider whose key moves include the running hand touch and the frog jump, has also bagged 4 consecutive Super 10’s and seems to be on a level of his own, all together unstoppable in his stride.
He is in his groove and will rightly keep the Iranian defenders, Suleiman Pehelwani, Milaghardan and Fazel Atrachali on their toes! When questioned about Meraj’s statement of intent about Iran winning the World Cup, the raider just laughed it off saying, “He is wrong, it’s impossible! The title will be ours!”
Thakur then will play a key role in the Indian team success in the finals, he will have to carry his form ahead in the same manner from previous encounters to ensure a win for the home team!
