Season 3 of the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi enters the business end after 33 days of enthralling action. With 56 matches having been played across 8 cities, four teams have qualified for the semi-final of the biggest kabaddi league in the world.
Defending champions U Mumba pipped Patna Pirates to the top of the group stage on the final day of the league stage. Meanwhile, Pune-based franchise Puneri Paltan made the semi-final comfortably despite languishing in 6th spot after the culmination of the first five legs. The Manjeet Chhillar-led side peaked at the right time to make the semis for the first time in the club's history. Another debutant in the knockout stages, Bengal Warriors, finished in 4th spot despite leading the table in the initial stages.
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The format of the league dictates that the top placed side will take on the 4th placed side at the end of the group stage, while the 2nd and 3rd placed teams face off for a spot in the final. The four teams will return to the country's capital, New Delhi, to contest the semis at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
Semifinal 1: Patna Pirates vs Puneri Paltan
The first semi-final on 4th March will see the perennial semi-finalists Patna Pirates face off against this stage's debutants Puneri Paltan. With the signings of Manjeet Chhillar, Ajay Thakur, Deepak Niwas Hooda and Jasmer Singh Gulia, the Paltan have assembled a formidable squad. After struggling initially, the Pune outfit showed their quality by losing just once in their final eight matches, after having lost three in their opening six.
Patna Pirates, on the other hand, have been spectacular throughout the season and lost their top spot only on the last day. The Pirates were the first team to qualify for the semis and they had ample time to rest their players, which should give them an added advantage in their penultimate match. Two of the top three raiders of the tournament this season – Pardeep Narwal and Rohit Kumar – both represent the Pirates, while Sandeep Narwal flies the flag for the men in green in the defensive department.
It should be a gripping match between the two pre-season favourites, with Pune being the only side this season to avoid a loss against Patna. That said, the Pirates have never lost against Puneri Paltan and lead the head-to-head 4-0 after 6 matches, which would give them a lot of confidence going into this match.
You can watch the first semi-final LIVE on Star Sports from 7.50 pm
Semifinal 2: U Mumba vs Bengal Warriors
The second semi-final will see surprise semi-finalists Bengal Warriors take on the mighty U Mumba. The defending champions climbed to the top of the table after a stellar home leg which saw them notch up four wins in four matches. U Mumba have never failed to make the final in the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi, whereas Bengal Warriors are making their first semi-final appearance.
Nilesh Shinde has marshaled his troops well throughout the last 33 days. The Pratap Shetty-coached team rely heavily on their defence, which is led by Shinde. 33-year-old Bajirao Hodage and 25-year-old Girish Maruti Ernak have supported their captain perfectly while attackers Jang Kun Lee and Nitin Tomar have carried the team's raiding mantle.
The reigning champions, on the other hand, will be aiming to make it to their 3rd consecutive final appearance. U Mumba started on an inconsistent note with two wins and two losses in their opening four matches, but a 10-match winning run ensued which saw them reach the top. Rishank Devadiga has been their best raider, while the rise of Fazel Atrachali has steered the defending champions to a position of strength.
U Mumba have never lost to Bengal Warriors, holding a 6-0 record against the Warriors. It may seem easy to predict this match on paper, but the result of this David vs Goliath-like battle is far from decided. This being the first time the semis and final are being played away from Mumbai, could work to Bengal's advantage. Still, it would take a Herculean effort from the men in blue to overcome U Mumba's quality.
You can watch the second semi-final LIVE on Star Sports from 9.00 pm
With the final spots wide open, Patna Pirates will look to get lucky in their third attempt while Puneri Paltan and Bengal Warriors would aim to make the final in their debut appearance. But U Mumba won't give up their title easily, as the eyes of the nation turn to New Delhi for the final two days of this electrifying season.
