'%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)
Pro Kabaddi 2019 will come to an end on Saturday as the two most consistent sides of the season in Dabang Delhi K.C. and Bengal Warriors are set to play the final on 19th October at EKA Arena by TransStadia, Ahmedabad. With both teams set to feature in their first-ever final, the ongoing edition will give rise to a new champion.
Dabang Delhi K.C. defeated defending champions Bengaluru Bulls 44-38 in the first semifinal, courtesy of Naveen Goyat's 21st Super 10 of the season. In the second semifinal, the Bengal Warriors managed to outsmart U Mumba by a 37-35 margin. Sukesh Hegde led the raiding charge in the absence of Maninder Singh and finished with eight raid points from that game.
Both the teams have shown top consistency all through the season and will be keen on finishing off on a high, with a title to their credit from this season.
Dabang Express Naveen Goyat will take on the young corner duo of Rinku Narwal and Baldev Singh, which could prove to be a decisive factor in deciding the outcome of the game. Dabang Delhi have tons of experience on the defensive front, with Ravinder Pahal and Joginder Narwal leading the side from the corner positions. will aim at stopping the offence of Bengal Warriors.
As we buildup to an exciting final, let's take a look at five reasons why the Bengal Warriors might lift the trophy this year.
#5 Lethal corner duo of Baldev Singh and Rinku Narwal
The corner duo of Baldev Singh (right corner) and Rinku Narwal (left) have remained dominant throughout the season, and have scored a combined total of 126 tackle points this season. They have formed the third-best corner combination of this season with 11 High-5s to their name.
Baldev Singh has a tackle strike rate of 55.17% this season, which is the highest by any defender from Warriors. Rinku, on the other hand, has a 49.6% tackle strike rate. The advantage with Bengal Warriors is undoubtedly the form of their young defensive corners, who have contributed equally. If one of them fails, the other one leads the defence and scores consistently.
Rinku Narwal has five tackle points against Dabang Delhi K.C. while Baldev has three in two matches played against the Joginder Narwal-led side. Rinku can execute his ankle holds precisely, and Baldev Singh can make an impact with his beastly blocks. They will play a vital role in stopping the likes of Chandran Ranjith and Naveen Goyat from picking up points.
#4 Mohammad Nabibakhsh's all-round calibre
Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh has proven to be a lethal all-rounder in his debut season of Pro Kabaddi. He has played a perfectly balanced role as a raider and a defender throughout the Warriors' campaign this season, highlighted by the fact that he is the only player to have picked up a Super 10 and a High 5 this season.
Nabibakhsh has 83 raid points in 22 matches along with 29 tackle points to his name. In the offence, Nabibakhsh can outsmart the opposition with his running hand touches. On the defensive front, he has executed dives from versatile positions that have seen him pick up a whole lot of points.
Nabibakhsh could be a trump card for Bengal Warriors heading into the final as he is a dependable raider to raid in the crucial situations of the match. He has eight raid points in two outings played against Delhi and could come into this game with a lot of confidence.
#3 Potential depth in raiding in the absence of Maninder Singh
With a plethora of raiding options in the squad, the Bengal Warriors have never lagged behind in terms of points accumulated on the raiding front. The likes of K Prapanjan, Sukesh Hegde, and Mohammad Nabibakhsh have scored 48.68% of Bengal Warriors raid' points this season.
While the secondary raiders have proved to be dominant whenever given opportunities, skipper Maninder Singh has brought about 41.75% of Bengal Warriors' raid points, which goes on to show that the Warriors have not been overly dependent on their captain this season.
Bengal are one of the only two teams to have three raiders scoring 80+ raid points this season. While Maninder Singh has been the top raider in 10 matches, the others have stepped up to the plate when Maninder has not done well. With such depth in their raiding department, Bengal Warriors look solid on the offensive front, heading into the final.
If Maninder Singh remains out of action for the final encounter, it won't hurt Bengal as the other raiders have been performing well. If he joins the side on the day, it will undoubtedly boost the entire side.
#2 Ability to stitch together a recovery from a deficit
Bengal Warriors' 14 Super raids out of 16 have been scored only with touchpoints, which remains the highest by any team this season. They have the third-best average of 21.35 raid points per game, which shows their fighting spirit till the final minute.
Bengal have relied less upon the Do or Die raids as a unit, while they have scripted comebacks in seven out of 10 matches. The corner defense combination of Baldev and Rinku take the onus of initiating tackles, as the cover defenders play the role of assisting the in form defenders extremely well. This has only gone on to exhibit their ability to make comebacks and remain composed throughout the game.
Skipper Maninder Singh has been the Warriors' best raider of the season with 205 raid points in 20 matches with an average of 10.25 raid points per game. He has a strike rate of 80 when it comes to Do or Die raids, which is the second best by any raider in the season thus far.
Maninder Singh has 16 raid points versus Dabang Delhi K.C. in two matches played against them. If he is indeed declared fit, the Bengal Warriors will have a boosted offense and the higher probability of winning the title on the 19th of October.
#1 Unbeaten versus Dabang Delhi K.C. this season
Bengal Warriors have a win along with a tied match in two games played against Dabang Delhi this season. They may not have stopped Naveen Goyat from scoring a Super-10, but their offence has shown intent and dominated against Delhi's defence in both of the encounters.
In the first encounter, the Warriors were trailing by 11-18 at half-time, but a decent comeback through K Prapanjan's Super 10 saw both of the teams ending the game on a 30-30 tie. Veteran Jeeva Kumar and Rinku Narwal starred in the defence, with four and three tackle points respectively. Nabibakhsh and Maninder scored three raid points each.
In the second encounter between these two sides, Bengal kept the lead right from the start as skipper Maninder Singh went on to score 13 raid points. Sukesh Hegde (7 points) and Nabibakhsh (5 points) assisted Maninder well in the offence, while Baldev Singh scored three tackle points. Bengal Warriors cruised towards a dominant victory by a 42-33.
Bengal Warriors will certainly come into this contest with a whole lot of confidence, while Dabang Delhi will hope that young Naveen Kumar continues his fine show on the day.
