Patna Pirates vs the Rest of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi 7: Who will win?

The Patna Pirates won the third edition of the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi courtesy a nail-biting 31-28 win over the defending champions U Mumba. An early onslaught from the Pirates dented U Mumba's hopes severely before a spirited fight-back from Anup Kumar's men ensured that the match went down to the wire. However, that wasn't enough in the end as the Pirates were crowned the new champions.The men in green forged a lethal unit this season and dominated the league right from the outset. So wouldn't it be an interesting exercise to see how they would fare if they came up against a Rest of the Pro Kabaddi (RoPKL) seven?We take a look at how the Pirates players would match up against the best of the rest, and how the two teams would look against one another:

#1 Manpreet Singh (Patna Pirates) vs Anup Kumar (RoPKL)

Manpreet Singh (L) and Anup Kumar (R)

Anup Kumar would be the obvious choice to captain the Rest of the Pro Kabaddi League side considering the way he controls proceedings in a game. Manpreet Singh led his team to the title this season and a battle of the two veterans would be an absolute delight to watch. Both are great raiders in their own right and can pull off the goods when needed.

Verdict: Anup Kumar. The Indian captain is one of the best kabaddi players in the world and the Rest of the PKL win the first round. Patna Pirates 0-1 Rest of the PKL

#2 Vinod Kumar (Patna Pirates) vs Bajirao Hodage (RoPKL)

Vinod Kumar (L) and Bajirao Hodage (R)

Vinod Kumar was a monster in both the semi-final and the final of Season 3. He didn't give the opponent raiders an inch, and some of the blocks that he put in were simply breathtaking. Bajirao Hodage has been equally splendid all season for the Bengal Warriors and has made a fantastic reputation for himself. This battle at the left cover position would be one of the most closely contested ties.

Verdict: Bajirao Hodage. The Bengal Warriors defender edges Vinod by the thinnest of margins. Patna Pirates 0-2 Rest of the PKL

#3 Sandeep Narwal (Patna Pirates) vs Mohit Chhillar (RoPKL)

Sandeep Narwal (L) and Mohit Chhillar (R)

This is as mouth-watering as it can get. Two of the country's best young players would take their place at the right corner position in defense in this imagined match-up. There is little to choose between the two players, and the result will depend on how the players perform on the day. Sandeep Narwal's raiding ability probably gives him an edge over Mohit Chhillar.

Verdict: Sandeep Narwal. The Patna Pirates open their account thanks to their star 22-year-old. Patna Pirates 1-2 Rest of the PKL

#4 D. Suresh Kumar (Patna Pirates) vs Surjeet (RoPKL)

D. Suresh Kumar (L) and Surjeet (R)

The battle of the right cover position sees two very accomplished defenders go head to head. D. Suresh Kumar and Sandeep Narwal have had their combination going all throughout the tournament, and that makes him very dangerous. Surjeet though is a slightly better defender than Suresh Kumar and has played with Mohit Chhillar in the Indian team, which gives him the advantage over his opponent.

Verdict: Surjeet. The Puneri Paltan defender is already one of the most feared defenders in the game despite making his debut this season. Patna Pirates 1-3 Rest of the PKL

#5 Pardeep Narwal (Patna Pirates) vs Rishank Devadiga (RoPKL)

Pardeep Narwal (L) and Rishank Devadiga (R)

This, quite easily, is the pick of the match-ups. The battle between the two best raiders of the tournament and also the two most talented emerging players has a lot of promise to it. Pardeep Narwal and Rishank Devadiga have different styles, but they have been equally devastating for the opponents. With 222 raid points between them this season, these two were the stars for their teams in the raiding department, and a very difficult hypothesis to call.

Verdict: Pardeep Narwal. The 19-year-old narrowly edges Rishank out due to his explosiveness when taking to the mat. Patna Pirates 2-3 Rest of the PKL

#6 Rohit Kumar (Patna Pirates) vs Nitin Tomar (RoPKL)

Rohit Kumar (L) and Nitin Tomar (R)

The battle of the two men from Services has a different dimension to it than the other battles. Rohit Kumar won the Most Valuable Player award this season and it was difficult to argue against that considering the impact he had on the Pirates side. Nitin Tomar on the other hand had an injury-affected tournament, but possesses the best raid per match ratio in the league. This would be a fight between two very mature players who are neck-and-neck with one another.

Verdict: Rohit Kumar. The Season 3 MVP is possibly the best player on the planet currently and he levels the score for Patna in this hypothetical match. Patna Pirates 3-3 Rest of the PKL

#7 Sunil Kumar (Patna Pirates) vs Manjeet Chhillar (RoPKL)

Sunil Kumar (L) and Manjeet Chhillar (R)

Sunil Kumar has been excellent for the Patna Pirates this season and has performed brilliantly as a part of a solid defensive unit. Manjeet Chhillar, meanwhile, would take up the left corner defender position in the Rest of Pro Kabaddi League side. With all due respect to Sunil, Manjeet would have a significant upper hand in this battle due to his sheer class. The Pune captain is more than capable as a raider and can lead the side well too.

Verdict: Manjeet Chhillar. Hailed as the best all-rounder in the world, Manjeet Chhillar should have more than enough for Sunil. Patna Pirates 3-4 Rest of the PKL

It will be a closely contested affair and with the very best players descending on to the mat for the match, the crowd should get their penny's worth. However, the best players from the other 7 teams should prove a touch too tough to handle even for the wily Patna Pirates coach, Sanjiv Kumar Baliyan.

The winner of the All-Star match-up, as per this hypothetical exercise, would be the Rest of the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi 7.