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The eighth week of Pro Kabaddi 2019 concluded at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Stadium in Kolkata. Bengal Warriors became the second team of the season to remain unbeaten at home after Dabang Delhi K.C.
Bengal Warriors played out a thrilling tie against Gujarat Fortune Giants (25-25). They went on to beat Puneri Paltan (42-39), U Mumba (29-26), and Bengaluru Bulls (42-40) to become the second-most successful team thus far.
Maninder Singh scored 43 raid points in four matches at the Kolkata leg as the top raider from Bengal Warriors. Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh and Baldev Singh each scored 11 tackle points in four outings as a consistent defensive unit.
Record-breaker Pardeep Narwal made history in the match against Tamil Thalaivas as he crossed the milestone of 1,000 raid points, thus becoming the first-ever player to do so.
As the ninth week of Pro Kabaddi has moved to Pune, let's take a look at the top 3 teams which could win the title after Kolkata leg.
#3 UP Yoddha
UP Yoddha have emerged as a competitive side as they have managed to defeat balanced teams recently. They have remained unbeaten in both the Bengaluru and Kolkata legs thanks to consistent performances from both their offense and defense.
UP Yoddha squared off against Gujarat Fortune Giants in their only match of the Kolkata leg. Shrikant Jadhav, Surender Gill, and Rishank Devadiga contributed to the raid points. Emerging defender Sumit Sangwan scored an outstanding High 5, besides skipper Nitesh Kumar's four tackle points. They managed to demolish Gujarat (33-26) for a solid win.
Shrikant Jadhav has regained his form and is now leading the offense upfront. He has found able support from Surender Gill as the second raider. Sumit Sangwan has been the find for UP Yoddha this season while Nitesh Kumar has also been in sublime touch lately with a couple of High 5s in his recent matches.
If UP Yoddha continue their consistent performances, they could become prime contenders to win the title this season.
#2 Haryana Steelers
Haryana Steelers have gone on to become a tough side this season compared to how they started the proceedings at the start of the tournament. Vikash Kandola has been in sublime touch ever since his return from an injury. The defense looks solid now and all the departments have made considerable contributions to the team's cause.
Haryana squared off against the table-toppers Dabang Delhi K.C. in what turned out to be a one-sided 47-25 win for them. While other teams found it an uphill task to defeat Dabang Delhi, Haryana Steelers made it look easy with Super 10s from both Vikash Kandola and Prashanth Kumar Rai. Vikas Kale gained a brilliant High 5 to his name. Both the corners, Sunil and Dharmaraj Cheralathan scored four tackle points each.
Haryana faced Jaipur Pink Panthers in their second match of the Kolkata leg which ended in a breathtaking tie (32-32). Vikash Kandola and Prashanth Rai led the offense with six and five raid points respectively. Sunil and Ravi Kumar notched up High 5s with the skipper Dharmaraj Cheralathan scoring three points.
As Haryana Steelers are now comfortably placed in the points table for the playoffs, they very much look as strong contenders to win the title this year.
#1 Bengal Warriors
Bengal Warriors became the second team in Pro Kabaddi 2019 to remain unbeaten at their home leg with a tied game followed by three back-to-back wins. The offense was dominant while the defense remained composed under pressure situations to take Bengal Warriors to a stable position in the points table.
With nine raid points, skipper Maninder Singh saved the match in the final moments against Gujarat Fortune Giants as the game ended in a tie (25-25). He went on to score a Super 10 against Puneri Paltan with Baldev Singh scoring a High 5 that fetched a close victory for the home side (42-39).
Sukesh Hegde starred in the offense against U Mumba with Mohammad Nabibakhsh and Rinku Narwal scoring four tackle points each for their second victory (29-26). Maninder Singh went berserk against Bengaluru Bulls with 17 raid points to his name while Mohammad Nabibakhsh showed his all-round ability with a High 5 to his name as Bengal ended the leg on a high note with a 42-40 win.
Bengal Warriors stand firmly at the 2nd spot with nine wins thus far. They will be the toughest challenge for other teams as they seem ready to win the Pro Kabaddi title this year.
