Pro Kabaddi season seven will witness two first-time finalists fighting it out for the coveted title on Saturday. Dabang Delhi have endured a tough journey till the sixth season while Bengal Warriors have also had their fair share of ups and down over the course of the past six seasons.
It will be a delightful spectacle to witness Delhi and Bengal go head-to-head in the ultimate encounter and given the nerve-wracking finals that have taken place in the past, we are surely pumped for this one.
But before we gear ourselves up for a super show, here we bring to you the top four title-winning performances from individuals who have undoubtedly etched their names in the competition’s history.
Pawan Kumar Sehrawat vs Gujarat Fortunegiants (Season 6)
Pawan Kumar weaved his magic to take the match away from Gujarat Fortunegiants last season. Out of the 26 raid points that Bengaluru Bulls scored, Pawan alone had 22 to his name. It was a magnanimous effort by the youngster as he single-handedly overturned an eight-point deficit to bring Bengaluru back in the game.
Bengaluru were the only team in the league with over 500 raid points aggregate that season and Pawan had been their trump card throughout. It was unarguably one of the most mind-boggling second half stints in the history of PKL when Pawan decided to take apart Gujarat’s defence. Bengaluru were crowned champions for the first time and Pawan won the tag of the ‘Most Valuable Player’ of the season.
Pardeep Narwal vs Gujarat Fortunegiants (Season 5)
Patna Pirates was on a hunt to complete a hat-trick of titles in PKL. Courtesy of Pardeep’s insurmountable raiding abilities, Patna came back from an early seven-point deficit to win the match 55-38. The 22-year-old raider gained a total of 19 points in the match taking his total tally of points for the season par 360.
It was a raiding masterclass by the league’s most successful raider till date and Patna ate the fruit of Pardeep’s genius. Pardeep ended the season with 369 raid points to his name and was adjudged the ‘Most Valuable Player’ of the season.
Rohit Kumar vs U Mumba (Season 3)
U Mumba entered the finals for the third consecutive season and were set up against first time finalist Patna Pirates. Despite the experience of playing two finals and being the defending champions, U Mumba succumbed to an all-round performance by Patna. The team was led by Manpreet Singh, but it was Rohit Kumar at the forefront of attack who gave the much-needed respite to Patna with his splendid eight-point performance.
Rohit maintained the pressure on U Mumba’s defenders consistently allowing Sandeep Narwal to take advantage and secure crucial points. Due to Rohit’s clinical performance, Patna lifted their maiden PKL trophy, which was followed by two others in the subsequent seasons.
Maninder Singh vs U Mumba (Season 1)
The final of the inaugural season of PKL was played between Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba where Jaipur emerged victorious courtesy of an all-round performance from Maninder Singh. The NSCI Dome in Mumbai was buzzing with chants for Maninder who managed to score a total of 12 points – 8 raid points and 2 tackle points. It was an effective performance by Maninder which ensured that Jaipur walk away as first champions ever of PKL.
Feature image courtesy: Star Sports & Pro Kabaddi
