The final leg of the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi Season 3 came to an end amidst much fanfare, with U Mumba pipping Patna Pirates to the top of the table. Puneri Paltan and Bengal Warriors qualified for the semi-final of the tournament for the first time ever while the home team as well as Patna made it to their third consecutive knockout appearance.
Plenty of splendid individual performances were witnessed by the crowd gathered at the Dome at NSCI Stadium, Mumbai. Here are the 7 players who took the limelight in Mumbai.
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Pardeep Narwal (Patna Pirates)
Pardeep Narwal gave his camp something to cheer despite Patna Pirates losing only their 2nd match this season, against the Telugu Titans. The 19-year-old equaled Kashiling Adake's long-standing record of the most points in a single match – 24. Pardeep was the lone fighter for the Pirates as they went down narrowly to the Titans (41-42).
Rishank Devadiga (U Mumba)
Rishank Devadiga, who could well be called Mumbai's heartbeat, continued his stellar form at home. After over a month of travelling, U Mumba used their home comfort to leapfrog to the top of the table, and this can largely be credited to Rishank's exploits on the mat. The youngster scored 37 points in four matches to ensure the defending champions would suffer no hiccups towards the end of the league stage. The 22-year-old's 14 points against Telugu Titans sent the team from the south out of the tournament and propelled him to No. 2 in the top raiders list.
Sandeep Dhull (Dabang Delhi)
Sandeep Dhull was the lone warrior for the Eagles as they slumped to yet another defeat in their final match of Season 3. Playing against the indomitable U Mumba in Mumbai, Sandeep scored 4 tackle points to ensure they could salvage some pride. However, he was unable to prevent a 20-36 loss against the defending champions.
Nilesh Shinde (Bengal Warriors)
Bengal Warriors went through to the semi-final for the first time ever after winning one out of their two matches in Mumbai. Captain Nilesh Shinde led by example, amassing 10 tackle points out of which seven came in a 26-22 win against Bengaluru Bulls. The experienced campaigner was a rock at the back and gave the Bulls raiders a tough time with his precise ankle holds.
Deepak Niwas Hooda (Puneri Paltan)
Previously playing in the shadows of Manjeet Chhillar and Ajay Thakur, the youngster Deepak Hooda came into his own in Mumbai as he scored 19 points in two matches. He sealed the 3rd spot for his team by amassing 13 points in a 43-19 thrashing of fellow top 4 rivals Bengal Warriors. Every raid he went into had the opponents shaking in their boots - such was the terror the 21-year-old put into the Warriors side.
Surjeet (Puneri Paltan)
The right cover gave a defensive masterclass against Bengal Warriors by amassing as many as nine points (eight in defence). The 25-year-old Surjeet provided Deepak Hooda with the perfect platform to go on his raids, and it was that combination to which the Warriors had no answer. On an unusual off day for Manjeet Chhillar, Surjeet stepped up and delivered to ensure the Paltan will make their first semi-final appearance in the tournament's history.
Rahul Chaudhari (Telugu Titans)
The Telugu Titans captain failed to get his team through to the knockout stages as they crashed to a 22-38 defeat to U Mumba after beating the then table toppers Patna Pirates 42-41. But Rahul Chaudhari was immense in both matches as he gathered 12 points against the defending champions and 14 against the Pirates. He was the architect behind Pirates' 2nd defeat of the season, which doomed them to second spot.
