Puneri Paltan vs Haryana Steelers. The best PKL team ever vs giant-slaying first-time finalists. A first-time champion in the offing. The stage is well and truly set for the Pro Kabaddi League [PKL 10] final.
How did they get here?
Puneri Paltan did what they have done all season -- decimate their opposition. Last season's runners-up beat PKL's most successful team ever -- Patna Pirates by a massive 16 points to make it to their second final on the trot. This was their 18th win in 23 matches -- they have lost just two. That should tell you just how good they are.
For a team that lost their opening match by 30 points, Haryana Steelers have truly enjoyed their best season since joining PKL in season 5. Manpreet Singh's boys qualified for the playoffs by finishing fifth and made it to the semis with a gritty win over Gujarat Giants. What followed that win was one of the biggest upsets in PKL history as they hammered defending champions Jaipur Pink Panthers to earn their first shot at the title.
P.S.- Haryana Steelers are the first team not ranked among the top-2 at the end of the league stage, to play in a final.
What sets these two teams apart?
Puneri Paltan: They simply can't seem to put a foot wrong. They have scored the most points [922], the most tackle points in PKL 10 [340], have inflicted the most All Outs [45] and have conceded the least points among the 12 teams [653]. Their raiders can defend, defenders can raid...you get the point. There's a reason why they're considered the best PKL team of all time.
Haryana Steelers: They have defended fiercly. A young team with no bonafide superstar, each player has performed beyond expectations. And that's what has made them so effective: you just don't know what to expect from them because there's a new hero in each game. For a team that has no marquee raider, they have the most raid points [1045] and the most super tackles [33]. Their defensive trio of Jaideep Dahiya, Mohit Nandal and Rahul Sethpal have a total of 209 tackle points, which is more than how many the entire Bengal Warriors team had in 22 games.
What happened when they played each other this season?
Haryana Steelers are one of the two teams to have beaten Puneri Paltan this year. Sample that. They picked up a 44-39 win when they met back in December, but Puneri Paltan bounced back with a comprehensive 51-36 victory when they met again in Panchkula last month.
Who are the key players?
Mohammadreza Shadloui: He's always been a good defender. This year, he's become one of PKL's best-ever defenders. The Iranian left corner has 97 tackle points to his name, just four away from the highest tackle point tally in PKL history. He has 11 High 5s to his name [also a PKL record] and is a livewire on the mat. Oh, and he can raid too.
Aslam Inamdar: Puneri Paltan's captain cool. The fact that he is roughly the same age as his teammates makes his mature approach to captaincy all the more remarkable. He is a superb raider, an excellent exponent of the bonus point and is also a very useful defender.
Mohit Nandal: Haryana Steelers' superstar in the right cover position. He forms a lethal combination with Jaideep Dahiya [they're called Jai-Mo] and can change a game on its head. He had been an integral part of Haryana Steelers' water-tight defence and if he's on-song, it's very hard to get past him.
Vinay: The #1 raider among Manpreet's men. His dodging skills are second to none and he has a unique ability to wriggle out of tackles. He has more often than not delivered for Haryana Steelers and has shouldered their raiding duties with great confidence. He's also, currently, PKL 10's ninth-best raider.
Any fresh faces who could pull off a surprise?
Watch out for Haryana Steelers' Shivam. All of 18 years of age, he's been a revelation in his debut season. He made Jaipur Pink Panthers' Reza Mirbagheri look like a rookie when he beat him five times in the semis and also outsmarted Sunil Kumar and Ankush Rathee for fun. He's a left-raider, which immediately makes him a tricky customer due to the lack of left-raiders and has a very clever head on his young shoulders.
Another player to watch out for is Akash Shinde. Puneri Paltan have an all-star team and Akash has often been benched, but you can count on him in crunch situations. He's quick, has a superb running hand touch and can stun a defender with a reverse toe touch.
Any storylines to look out for?
Will history repeat itself?
So, U Mumba finished as runners-up in season 1 and emerged as champions in season 2. Dabang Delhi lost the final in season 7, won the title the next year. Can Puneri Paltan keep the trend going?
Manpreet's quest for a title
Manpreet won the PKL title as a player with Patna Pirates in season 3. He then took to coaching and steered Gujarat Giants [then called Gujarat Fortunegiants] to two successive finals in PKL 5 and 6 but finished second-best on both occasions. He is now one match away from becoming the first to win the PKL trophy as a player and coach.
The PKL10 final starts at 8 PM on Friday, March 1 and will be available on Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar.