Now that we’re oh so close to Pro Kabaddi Season 5, it’s only right that we pay homage to the greatest teams that have taken to the mat. Since the inception of the league, players from different teams have managed to stamp their authority.
But dominating collectively as a team is a different ball game altogether. A team may possess the greatest individual players on planet earth but if they can’t perform as one cohesive unit, they will not succeed. On that note, let’s take a look at the 5 greatest teams in PKL history.
#1 Jaipur Pink Panthers – Season 1
What a glorious season it was for the side from Rajasthan. Looking back, the Panthers’ victory in 2014 will go down in history as one of the most underrated. A side that consisted of warriors played beyond their potential to claim the trophy. The usual suspect, Jasvir Singh led from the front, picking up a massive 106 raid points.
However, it was Maninder Singh who took the league by storm, scoring an unexpected 130 raid points. He was responsible for Jaipur winning 10 of their 14 matches in the league stage.
He had all-rounder, Rajesh Narwal for company who chipped in with a vital 72 points of his own. Defenders, Rohit Rana and Prashant Chavan were among the very best in season 1, scoring 70 tackle points between them. The unsung heroes, Ran Singh and veteran Navneet Gautam provided some much-needed balance as well.
#2 U Mumba – Season 2
Heading into season 2, U Mumba boasted of seven players, none of whom would have looked out of place in a World 7. A supremely self-assured Mumbai side went on to win 14 of the 16 matches they played that season. No coach could have envisioned that he’d ever have the liberty of managing such a perfectly balanced team. Anup Kumar and Shabeer Bapu took turns to cement themselves as the country’s best raiding duo, picking up 124 points in total.
Rishank Devadiga added depth in the raiding department with consistent performances. Mohit Chhillar and Surender Nada’s love story came to life. They scored an almost identical 42 and 41 tackle points respectively. Right cover, Jeeva Kumar was part of an impressive seven super tackles, unmatched that season. With six players in peak form, Vishal Mane didn’t have the opportunity to display his skills.
#3 Patna Pirates – Season 3
In terms of drama, Patna Pirates’ Season 3 triumph will go down as one of the most entertaining in the history of the PKL. They were part of seven matches in which the points difference between them and the opposition was four or less. This included two nail-biting draws against the same team – Puneri Paltan. The reason? Their defence wasn’t among the best in the league.
Sandeep Narwal was the sole Patna player to feature among the top 10 defenders, picking up a vital 55 tackle points. Star-man, Pardeep Narwal took the league by storm and made mincemeat of almost every single defender. He scored 116 raid points that season and was ably accompanied by another centurion, Rohit Kumar, who scored an exciting 102 points. Together, they bailed out Patna on more than one occasion.
#4 Patna Pirates – Season 4
The auction before season 4 couldn’t have come at a better time for Patna. Eager to replicate their season 3 success, the Pirates desperately needed to add new talent to the squad. The addition of Dharmaraj C, Fazel Atrachali and Bajirao Hodage meant the reigning champions had enough in the locker to ensure defensive solidity, something that they lacked in the previous season. Together, they picked up 113 crucial tackle points.
Patna’s season 4 campaign may not have been as exciting as the previous one. A pragmatic approach ensured they successfully defended their title. They no longer needed to be heavily dependent on their raiders alone. In fact, it was their defenders who helped Patna register back to back championships. With 131 raid points to his name, Pardeep Narwal was the only Patna raider among the top 10 of season 4. Kuldeep Singh and Rajesh Mondal were unsung heroes in a season where they had to dig deep.
#5 Telugu Titans
With two fifth-place finishes and two semi-final appearances, the Telugu Titans have come closest to the title amongst the teams that haven’t won it. While they’ve always been a supremely effective raiding side, they’ve also always been defensively suspect.
Time and again, in crunch situations, the Titans have lacked experienced defenders to do the job. Over the course of four seasons, they’ve probably been the most exciting team to watch but playing to the gallery hasn’t served them well. Quality teams have found it easy to pick them apart as and when things get intense.
Rahul Chaudhari has been their stand out performer while Nilesh Salunke has been a loyal aide to Chaudhari. But the Pro Kabaddi League has proved time and again, if you fail to keep your defence tight, you will crumble.
