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Bengal Warriors, Manu-Saurabh headline team of the year nominations

PTI Photo

From Chennai City FC to Bengal Warriors via cycling, badminton, hockey and shooting, here are our top picks for team of the year.

ESPN India Awards 2019: Full coverage

Bengal Warriors

Champions of the 2019 Pro Kabaddi League - The Kolkata franchise won their first ever PKL title, in their first appearance in the final. That they beat league-stage leaders and favourites Dabang Delhi in the final without their talismanic skipper Maninder Singh adds to the feat.

READ: No Maninder, no problem: Buoyant Bengal a class above dysfunctional Delhi


Chennai City

Champions of the 2018-19 I-league - Became the first team from Tamil Nadu to win an Indian football first division title, in only their third year in the top division. Playing flowing football inspired by Singaporean coach Akbar Nawas, and led by the league's top scorer Pedro Manzi, Chennai City went from nearly being relegated in 2017-18 to winning the title the very next.

READ: Chennai City - champions of adversity, champions of India


Chirag Shetty - Satwiksairaj Rankireddy

Winners, Thailand Open -- the first Indian doubles team to win a BWF World Tour 500 event. They are now ranked the 10th best doubles pair in the world. They would reach the finals of the French Open 750 and the semifinals of the China Open 1000 to cap off a remarkable year that saw them make sure that doubles shared the national spotlight with the singles competitors.

READ: Satwiksairaj, Chirag Shetty and the art of travelling deep


Men's sprint cycling team

The world no. 1 team in the junior category, the team of Esow Alben, Ronaldo Singh Laitjonam, and Rojit Singh Yanglem were gold medalists in Team Sprint in both the Junior World and Asian Track Cycling championships. This was India's first gold at the world level in the sport.


Manu Bhaker - Saurabh Chaudhary

Four World Cups. Four Gold medals. The 10m air pistol mixed team combination of Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker completed a clean sweep at this year's World Cups.

READ: Manu Bhaker-Saurabh Chaudhary win fourth gold; India record best-ever WC medal haul


Women's hockey team

The Indian team qualified for the 2020 Olympics after a thrilling playoff against the United States of America. Earlier in the year, they won the FIH World Series, beating Japan 3-1. They beat the same opponents 2-1 to win the Olympic test event.

READ: India survive U.S scare as Rani confirms Tokyo berth