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The seventh season of Pro Kabaddi 2019 is in its final stage as only five more games are left in the competition. At the end of the league phase, six teams earned a spot in the playoffs.
While the top 2 teams - Dabang Delhi K.C. and Bengal Warriors directly qualified for the semi-finals, the remaining four teams in the final six will now need to win their next games to join Delhi and Bengal in the semis.
The league stage of this edition showcased the high standard at which the game is being played now. While plenty of games were decided at the last minute, we also saw several individual records created in the last twelve weeks.
However, the focus will now shift to the playoffs as teams will look to give their best in their final few minutes on the mat this season. There are quality players in each of the teams that have qualified for the playoffs.
In this article, we have compiled the best starting seven from the teams that have qualified for the playoffs.
Defenders: Fazel Atrachali, Nitesh Kumar and Ravi Kumar
Although he might have liked a better start to this edition, Iran and U Mumba's star defender Fazel Atrachali compensated it with fine performances for his squad after the initial stutter. At the end of the league phase, Atrachali finished as the best defender with 78 tackle points from 22 games. Hence, the dash specialist made it to this elite squad on account of his solid showings on the mat.
UP Yoddha captain Nitesh Kumar also enjoyed a similar campaign to that of the Iranian in the league stage. However, the best defender from Season 6 took more time to recover than his Iranian counterpart. Nevertheless, Kumar started executing his ankle holds better as the tournament reached its halfway stage. The right corner specialist collected 70 tackle points in 22 games and helped his team earn a spot in the playoffs.
Ravi Kumar from Haryana Steelers is one player not many talked about in the league phase. The right cover defender was very effective with his tackles on the mat and contributed 52 points this season. Unlike other teams, the Haryana Steelers' defense succeeded more because of the collective performances of the players than their individual achievements. Ravi Kumar is the prime example of this and hence, he made it to this seven ahead of UP Yoddha's Sumit.
All-Rounders: Mohammad Nabibakhsh
A lot was expected of Mohammad Nabibakhsh, the Iranian all-rounder who commanded the highest bid in the overseas segment at the Season 7 auctions. In line with the expectations, Nabibakhsh proved his worth with his brilliant showings on the mat.
Nabibakhsh picked up 107 points in the league phase, with 78 of them coming as a raider and the remaining as a defender. In this process, Nabibakhsh also became one of the best all-rounders to have entered the mat in Season 7.
Among the teams that have qualified for the playoffs, the Bengal player has emerged as the best all-rounder and therefore made it to this squad.
Raiders: Pawan Sehrawat, Naveen Kumar and Maninder Singh(c)
Well, the inclusion of these players in the best starting seven in the playoffs does not require a justification. Pawan Sehrawat, Naveen Kumar and Maninder Singh have all surprised us with their exemplary skills and brilliant consistency on the mat in the league stages.
The trio together accumulated 781 raid points this season. The three have, in effect, been the major reason for the success of their respective teams this season. While Pawan Sehrawat set an all-time record by collecting 39 points in a single game, Naveen Kumar amazed us with 20 Super 10s this season. Maninder Singh, at the same time, entertained us with his running hand-touches and Super Raids in the league stage.
As teams prepare for the knockout games, the focus would be on all these seven players to see if they can give their best and secure the PKL Trophy.
