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The week-long Kabaddi extravaganza came to a conclusion today as World Cup and Asian champions India faced off against Iran at the Al Wasl Sports Complex in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The two sides put on incredibly dominant performances on the mat throughout the group stages as they won all their matches with comfortable margins over their opponents. India brushed aside challenges from Pakistan and Kenya whereas Iran overcame South Korea and Argentina to make their way to the semi-finals.
In the semifinals, Iran took on Pakistan and won 41-20 in a strong all-around showing that left the Pakistani side flustered on the mat. India were up against the spirited South Koreans and were made to work for the win as Ajay Thakur led the side from the front notching up a 36-20 win sealing their spot in the summit clash.
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Iran have been impressive in the tournament with a good 360 degree approach to the mat as they have a good host of all-rounders in the side despite not bringing their full strength squad to the tournament leaving out stars like Fazel Atrachali, Abozar Mighani, Meraj Sheykh and Abolfazl Maghsoudlou. However, players like Mohammad Nabibaksh, Mohammad Maghsoudlou and Mohammad Maleki have put on a strong statement with their performances and posed a threat to the Indians.
India came to the Emirates with a host of Pro Kabaddi League stars and have been consistent in their performances so far on the mat. Players like Pardeep Narwal and Rahul Chaudhari haven't played as per the expectations but India have extremely talented backups with Monu Goyat and Rishank Devadiga stepping up their game.
India emerged victorious against a strong challenge from the Iranian team to end up winning 44-26 to clinch the title of the inaugural Kabaddi Masters Dubai 2018. India' Ajay Thakur and Surjeet Singh were the top scoring raiders and defenders, respectively as India put on a strong all-around performance on the mat.
#1 India start strong and take early control in the match
India have always started cautiously in this Kabaddi Masters Dubai tournament and Iran were hoping to put pressure from the starting whistle. However, they were in for a surprise as India began with a bang in the match going full throttle.
Indian raiders Ajay Thakur, Monu Goyat and Rishank Devadiga kept the Iranians on their toes right from the get-go as they struggled to cope. Iran's raiders Nabibaksh and Nosrati were easily tackled by the Indian defenders and the World champions ran away to a strong lead within the first ten minutes taking control of the match and scoring the first all-out of the match.
#2 Ajay Thakur is the main man for India yet again
Indian raiders were doing well on the mat keeping the Iranian defenders busy with consistent scoring raids from both the sides. The Iranian defenders fail to put on their usual performance finding it tough against the Indian trio of Ajay Thakur, Rishank Devadiga and Monu Goyat.
However, the raider who stood out yet again was the Indian skipper Ajay Thakur. Thakur was the lead raider for India in the first half of the match and tormented the Iranians with clinical raiding efforts throughout. He kept scoring with his famed hand touches on the left corner. Thakur managed to notch up a tally of 5 raid points in 8 attempts in the first half.
#3 Iran stage a mini-comeback into the match but India persist
After India had taken a commanding lead in the match, Iran were down in the dumps but never out of spirit. The Iranians slowly started to play as a cohesive unit and exerted pressure on the Indian side.
The Iranian defenders had reduced the Indians to two men on the mat after a good effort from Mohammad Nabibaksh who put in a Super Tackle as well as good efforts on the defensive side of things. However, the Indian defence was ready for the challenge and did not allow the Iranians to impose an all-out on them.
#4 Surjeet Singh stands strong and scores his "High 5"
The Indian defence was led by possibly the best right cover defender in the world, Surjeet Singh who plays for the Bengal Warriors in the Pro Kabaddi League. Surjeet has been clinical for India throughout the Kabaddi Masters Dubai as he has orchestrated the defensive line for the Indian team.
Even tonight, Surjeet Singh took the charge in the Indian defence and scored a "High 5" in the match. He was strong in his tackles as he put in blocks and dashes across the mat and was a nightmare for the Iranian defenders. Surjeet Singh ended the match with a tally of 7 tackles points in an incredible performance.
#5 India end the match with a dominating spell of play
The final five minutes of the match saw a strong overall showing from the Indian side as they kept the Iranians under constant pressure both in attack as well as the defence.
Ajay Thakur was raiding with supreme confidence getting to a tally of 9 points in the match and made life difficult for the Iranian defenders. In the defensive scheme of things, Surjeet Singh led the charge not allowing the Iranian raiders to have any hopes of staging a comeback in the match. The strong spell of play meant that the Indians finished with a score of 44-26 in the final encounter.
