'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
India's beloved Pro Kabaddi 2019 saw its seventh edition conclude on the 19th of October as Bengal Warriors stole the shining trophy of PKL from right under the nose of Dabang Delhi. The final match was played at the EKA Arena by TransStadia in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
The final was highly thrilling with the score continually fluctuating. With no Maninder Singh in the squad, the Warriors looked slightly weaker in front of Delhi.
The first twenty minutes of the battle saw Delhi pace ahead as the Warriors found it challenging to pick up points, especially in the first ten minutes. Naveen Kumar, the young sensation from Delhi, was busy displaying his usual flair and the defense of Delhi also kept the rival raiders off the mat for most of the first half.
As the ultimate battle made its way towards the end of the first half, the offense and defense of the Warriors started clicking.
Mohammad Nabibakhsh, the Iranian all-rounder, who was playing his first-ever PKL season for the Warriors, brought the score to a deadlock at 17-17, courtesy a laudable performance. The defenders also pitched in and confirmed that Nabibakhsh was perennially present on the mat.
The second half saw the Warriors completely rule over Delhi and bend the match result in their direction. On the other hand, Delhi kept getting tackled and failed to make a comeback.
Now, Dabang Delhi could have won the match if they had avoided committing a few mistakes. Read to find out which blunders blocked Delhi from winning that coveted PKL 2019 trophy:
#3 Delhi failed to maintain the lead
Dabang Delhi started the battle on a brilliant note and dominated over the Warriors for quite some time. Bengal failed to pick up a single point for the first four minutes and didn't look prepared for the finale.
However, Nabibakhsh decided to work his magic and raised hopes of the Warriors' comeback by gathering a bunch of points. By the end of the first half, the Warriors, who started sloppily, tied with Delhi on 17-17.
A fairytale beginning for the team from the nation's capital didn't take much time to turn into a nightmare they dreaded. Quite a few mistakes by the defense of Delhi in the second half gifted their opponents the lead.
The rhythm that the table-toppers in the league stage played in throughout the season was lost, and the squad was unable to retain Naveen Kumar, their most valuable player. Delhi would have lifted the trophy if the team had been successful in maintaining the massive lead.
#2 A few too many mistakes by the defense
The defense can make or break a team, especially in kabaddi. Dabang Delhi's defensive unit was impeccable throughout the season, but unfortunately, it failed to make a mark when the requirement was utterly high.
The defenders started well and did a fair job in the first half of the final match, but the last twenty minutes saw them make quite a few absurd slips, which was unexpected from such an experienced bunch.
Vishal Mane, who is a defender, surprisingly enough, kept on raiding, which is not his area of expertise, despite being sent off the mat on multiple occasions. Ravinder Pahal, a veteran PKL player, initiated his tackles way too early and ended up getting dragged by the opponents.
Keeping Naveen Kumar on the mat was something the defense was unable to do, which was the main reason the match slipped out of their hands.
#1 No support received by Naveen Kumar
Naveen Kumar, the young gun from Delhi, displayed a brilliant performance throughout the season and had millions of expectations to carry on his back regarding the final.
With 18 points to his name, the 19-year-old lad tried his level best to win the trophy, but Delhi's defense's inability to retain him was what made them lose the match.
A raider single-handedly can't win a full-blown match for the whole team, and that's a fact. Even Pawan Sehrawat wasn't able to help Bengaluru Bulls qualify for the PKL 2019 final on his own.
Till the very last second, Kumar kept his fighting spirit on, but the passionate boy broke into tears after the match referee blew the final whistle. His team may have lost the match, but he won the hearts of every kabaddi aficionado out there with his beautiful game.
