Pro Kabaddi 2019, Playoffs: One player who can win the title for each side

At the end of an exciting league phase of Pro Kabaddi 2019, six teams have earned a spot in this season's playoffs, which will commence from 14th October 2019 at the EKA Arena by Transstadia at Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

With Dabang Delhi K.C. and Bengal Warriors occupying the top two spots and in the process gaining a straight ticket into the semifinals, the other four teams in the knockout stages will be contesting for a spot in the last four, to face off against the two aforementioned teams.

In the first eliminator on Monday, defending champions Bengaluru Bulls will take on the U.P. Yoddha while in the second eliminator, U Mumba will square off against the Haryana Steelers.

With many high profile stars in action during this season's playoffs, we take a look at one player from each side, who can single-handedly win the competition for their team.

Pawan Sehrawat - Bengaluru Bulls

The MVP from last season, Pawan Sehrawat has been in some scintillating form and is also the leading raid-point scorer this season, with 308 raid points from 22 matches. Having featured in all of the Bengaluru Bulls' matches this season, Pawan has been a force to reckon with and has notched up 16 Super 10s this season, which makes him an imperative player for the defending champions.

Such has been Pawan's magnificent show that Rohit Kumar, who has missed out from playing the last few matches has only 92 points from 17 matches, and has played second fiddle to Pawan all through the season.

Given that the youngster has single-handedly brought about wins for the Bulls this season and has also broken a plethora of records, including a whopping record 39 raid points against the Haryana Steelers in one match, the Bulls' faithful will undoubtedly pin their hopes on Pawan's good show.

Vikash Kandola - Haryana Steelers

One youngster who has impressed with his consistency this season has been Steelers' Vikash Kandola, who has 182 points from 19 matches and will need to step up with a match-winning performance against an upbeat U Mumba defensive unit.

To put things into perspective, a Kandola Super 10 has brought about comfortable wins for the Steelers, and if the youngster does manage to evade Fazel Atrachali's ankle holds and Surinder Singh's quick dashes, he could boost his own confidence for a clash against the exuberant defensive unit of the Bengal Warriors.

Abhishek Singh - U Mumba

Slotting into the role of U Mumba's lead raider this season, Abhishek Singh is his side's leading point-scorer this season with 136 points from 19 matches. However, his promising form of late, which has brought about 48 points from five matches will be the 'X-factor' that could define how far the season two champions travel in the knockouts.

Facing off against the Steelers in the second eliminator, U Mumba will be keen on taking inspiration from their 39-33 win against the same opponents only a few days back, and Abhishek Singh's ability to run through the Steelers' defensive unit will be a key feature.

Shrikant Jadhav - U.P. Yoddha

Post the culmination of a successful home leg for the U.P. Yoddha which saw the home side win three out of four matches, the Nitesh Kumar-led side will square off against the defending champions Bengaluru Bulls in the first eliminator of the season.

With the likes of Monu Goyat and Rishank Devadiga returning from injury but unable to make too much of an impact, the onus has been on Shrikant Jadhav to lead the raiding unit, and he has not disappointed.

With 143 points from 21 matches, Shrikant has stuck to the basics and has used his pace on the mat to telling effect, a feature of his raiding that will undoubtedly have a major say on the Yoddha's journey in the playoffs.

Maninder Singh - Bengal Warriors

While Maninder Singh is still recovering from a shoulder injury he picked up in the latter stages of the league games, he should be in line for a return during the Bengal Warriors' semifinal clash on 16th October, and his inclusion into the starting seven will undoubtedly prove to be a shot in the arm for the side as they chase an elusive title.

Although the likes of Sukesh Hegde and K Prapanjan have made useful contributions in Maninder's absence, the lead raider for the Warriors has looked in fine form all through this season and should be expected to pick up yet another Super 10 that could take his side into the season finale.

Given that Maninder already has 205 points from 20 matches, if he does fire on all cylinders, he could potentially single-handedly take his team closer to their first-ever PKL title.

And, if he does indeed miss out from action due to an injury, the onus will be on K Prapanjan to lead the side in his absence, with the lanky raider bringing in a whole lot of experience into the side.

Naveen Kumar - Dabang Delhi K.C.

270 points from 21 matches, including 20 Super 10s. Owing to these numbers, Naveen Kumar's explosiveness has headlined all of Delhi's matches this season, and to no one's surprise, he will hold the key to success for Delhi to make their way into the finals of the ongoing season.

Such has been Naveen's form this season that the youngster has swept away multiple awards from the league stages, and his shy, innocent nature off the mat has been complemented tremendously well by his hunger to score points on the mat.

His Not Out percentage of 85.44% only goes on to show that his running hand touches, quick bonus points, and fiery kicks have transformed him from a youngster trying to cement his place in the starting seven to one of the best raiders in the league, and the onus will be on his young shoulders to continue his stellar form into the playoffs.