Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - U Mumba's defense wins the game against home side, Bengaluru Bulls

Action shifted from the nation’s capital to the garden city of Bengaluru in Pro Kabaddi League 2015. We had a single game played out yesterday and it was between home side, Bengaluru Bulls and table toppers, U Mumba. The game had a dull start after which U Mumba took a 3-1 lead but Ashish Chhokar, known as the future Ajay Thakur, made a successful raid to close the gap to a single point. In the seventh minute, Rishank Devadiga (do-or-die raid specialist) came in for a do-or-die raid and successfully managed to earn a point for his side. U Mumba quietly slipped into a 4 point lead and again it was Rishank Devadiga coming in to raid. He was successfully tackled by the remaining two Bengaluru Bulls’ defenders for a super tackle. Hold On Though! A video referral was called for by U Mumba captain, Anup Kumar and he was successful as well. One of the defenders had stepped out of court before coming back in to tackle Rishank Devadiga. As a result of this referral, a point was awarded to U Mumba and Bengaluru Bulls were down to their last man. This lone man was the 40 year old defender, Dharmraj Cheralathan who had the task of reviving his teammates but was not successful as the resurgent U Mumba defense tackled him to inflict an all-out on the Bengaluru Bulls. In the final minute of the first half, Rishank Devadiga came in to raid. He had managed to get a defender along with him very close to the mid-line but was pulled back by the Bengaluru Bull defenders. During this scuffle, his jersey was also pulledoff ruthlessly but Rishank Devadiga still could not manage to get his hand across the mid-line. U Mumba went into halftime with a 5 point lead. Manjeet Chillar, pointless till now, started off the proceedings in the second half but returned back empty handed. It was in the thirtieth minute of the game that he managed to pick up a point from a successful tackle. Raiders are being guilty of being greedy for more point. Rishank Devadiga already showed it in the first half. Now it was Ajay Thakur’s turn. His team trailed by 6 points and in he came to raid. Having pulled a U Mumba defender along with him to the mid-line, he waited while looking for more raid points but was pulled back by the same defender. By the 36^th minute, U Mumba had built a 10 point lead. Dharmaraj Cheralathan was again the last man standing and this time he managed to not only get a bonus point but also a touch point. This helped revive Manjeet Chillar. Bhupinder Singh,, in for Shabeer Bapu, came in for the kill and looked to inflict an all-out on Bengaluru Bulls. He was extremely successful as well as he managed to wriggle out of the tackle to barely get his hand across the mid-line. U Mumba slipped into a mammoth lead of 12 point with only 3 minutes to go in the game. Into the last minute and with the game lost, Manjeet Chillar came in to reduce the margin to 7 points in order to help his side get atleast a point from this game. He was aggressive in his raid and managed to do just the needful as the game ended 36-29 in favour of U Mumba. This game was won by U Mumba’s defense as they earned a total of 19 defense points as well as kept the attack of Bengaluru Bulls in check. U Mumba went back into top spot of the Pro Kabaddi2015 points table to take a lead of 5 points with a game in hand. Bengaluru Bulls remain in third spot and still look set to qualify for the semi-finals.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Jaipur Pink Panthers crush Puneri Paltan, Telugu Titans & Dabang Delhi play out an exciting draw

It was the last day at Thyagraj Sports Complex in Delhi and we had a couple of matches. First up it was the Jaipur Pink Panthers up against Puneri Paltan and Jaipur Pink Panthers, already on a four game winning streak, were looking to get into the top 4 with a win. For Puneri Paltan, this match was of little value as they are rooted to the bottom spot in Pro Kabaddi League 2015 standings and were just playing for pride. It was a slow paced game right from the start. Puneri Paltan took a three point lead after 13 minutes but a 2 point raid from Rajesh Narwal brought his right into the match. 

At the 16 minute mark, Wazir Singh came in to raid but a brilliant solo effort from Ran Singh stopped Wazir in his tracks. It was a strong waist hold with which Ran Singh lifted Wazir Singh like a fly before his side supported him. Ran Singh displaying strength and a presence of mind with this move. Jaipur Pink Panthers inflicted an all-out on Puneri Paltan with three minutes in the first half to take a 13-7 lead. At the half way mark, Jaipur Pink Panthers had a healthy lead of 8 points but not a convincing one though as there have been instances of leads being diminished completely. Ran Singh showed his prowess in raiding as well while appearing in a do-or-die raid. He jumped over the Puneri Paltan defense for a point and more importantly a player revival. Puneri Paltan never looked to mount a comeback as the defense of Jaipur Pink Panthers was all over their attack. Debutants, Kazuhiro Takano and Simon Maina Kubura, also got into the action with a successful raid each. Jaipur Pink Panthers closed out the match at 31-18. Ran Singh and Kuldeep Singh combined in defense whereas Sonu Narwal and Rajesh Narwal combined in attack for a superb overall performance to earn the win for Jaipur Pink Panthers. 

The second match of the night was between hosts, Dabang Delhi, and title contendors, Telugu Titans. Telugu Titans were looking to go on top of the Pro Kabaddi League 2015 standings whereas Dabang Delhi were looking to close the gap on the top four. Telugu Titans took an early lead but a 2 point raid from Rohit Kumar Chaudhary helped his side close the gap. Post eleven minutes, Telugu Titans lead 7-6 and a super raid of 4 points from Sukesh Hegde extended their lead to 5 points. He was injured during the raid and had to be substituted. At the same time, Dabang Delhi chose to make a substitution by bringing in Selvamani K for G S Manikandan. And what a substitution it was as Selvamani started off with a 4 point super raid of his own. Dabang Delhi overturned inflicted the first all-out of the match by catching hold of Deepak Niwas Hudda. Both teams took a point here and there until a 2 point raid from Kashiling Adake helped Dabang Delhi take a lead of 2 points at halftime. This raid was successfully attempted under immense pressure from Kashiling Adake as he was looking to avoid an all-out for his side. Kashiling Adake was looking to inflict a second all-out on Telugu Titans early in the second half but a strong tackle from Deepak Niwas Hudda and Sukesh Hegde foiled his attempts resulting in a super tackle. After 27 minutes, Telugu Titans were down to three men and Kashiling Adake was successful in reducing their team to a lone Meraj Sheykh. Meraj Sheykh, known for troubling the Indian national team at the 2014 Asian Games Final, was on song and successfully revived 2 of his own team mates. He was at it again and made another superb raid of 2 points. Telugu Titans were facing an all-out at 34 minutes but substitute, Rupesh Tomar, made a successful 2 point raid of his own. This raid helped Telugu Titans to take the lead by a minuscule point. Down to 3 men, Kashiling Adake came in and inflicted an all-out single handedly earning his side 5 points in the process. Kashiling was on fire, scorching the mat with his moves and dodges. This was a game of many lead changes especially in the last 5 minutes. Down by a point, Rahul Chaudhari made a super raid to give his side the lead. Kashiling Adake came in for a do-or-die raid and oh what a magnificent raid it was. A dash was dodged exquisitely by him before running into the lobby to get 3 points for a super raid. Now, Dabang Delhi had a single point lead. In the penultimate minute, Rahul Chaudhari touched 2 Dabang Delhi defenders to give his side the lead. Kashiling Adake was on the precipice of something great. He came in to raid and made a fantastic super raid to give side the lead and more importantly, etch his name in history. He was now a record holder in Kabaddi for having earned most raid points in a singlematch. Deepak Niwas Hudda came in to salvage something for his side as they were down by 2 points. He managed to get a touch point before quickly retreating back into his own half to save time in order to make a raid again. This tactic of saving time did not work as Kashiling Adake, star of the hour, came in for the buzzer raid. Looking to just cross the baulk line to make a legal raid and get his side the win, Kashiling Adake looked to have managed to get a touch point. He claimed for it as well. The umpire seemed to have given in but protests from the entire Telugu Titans team made him look at the TV monitors for a video review. The referral was successful and a point was awarded to the Telugu Titans who had earned a third draw in Pro Kabaddi League 2015. Premature celebrations from Kashiling Adake turned into distraught as he swore on the mat about making a touch on Deepak Niwas Hudda. The Telugu Titans could be seen celebrating in the background as they jumped to top spot in the rankings. Kashiling Adake was no doubt the star performer of the match with 24 raid points but was not able to help his team across the line. Dabang Delhi could not make the most of home advantage and with the action shifting to Bengaluru, the Bulls will certainly look to consolidate their position in the top 4 of the Pro Kabaddi League 2015 standings.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Jaipur Pink Panthers humble home side Dabang Delhi

After a thumping win against Patna Pirates, Dabang Delhi looked for another win against Jaipur Pink Panthers to keep them in contention for a top 4 spot at the Thyagraj Sports Complex in Delhi. Indian Ocean lead singer, Rahul Ram, sang the national anthem in the nation's capital. The start was very slow as both teams failed to score a point in the first two minutes. Jaipur Pink Panthers then got off to a flyer thanks to Rajesh Narwal and Jasvir Singh. Jaipur Pink Panthers went into halftime with a lead of 18-9. Kashiling Adake was the solo performer for his side. Jaipur Pink Panthers opened the second half by inflicting an all-out on Dabang Delhi to stretch their lead to 13 points. Jaipur Pink Panthers inflicted another all-out in the 25th minute to gain a massive lead of 21 points. Even the best defender of Pro Kabaddi League 2015, Ravinder Pahal, missed multiple tackles. Dabang Delhi defense crumbled in a heap as they were all-out for the fourth time or was it the third. I’ve lost count of it thanks to their blow hot blow cold form. Jaipur Pink Panthers were in championship winning form and finally inflicted a 51-21 heartbreaking loss on Dabang Delhi. Rajesh Narwal wasabsolutely untouchable and looked in supreme form earning a total of 19 points in the game. He was brilliantly supported by Jasvir Singh who earned 9 raid points. Kashiling Adake looked like the only player who showed up for Dabang Delhi as he earned a handsome 9 raid points for a losing cause. With this win, Jaipur Pink Panthers jumped back to fourth spot and in contention for a semi-final spot. With U Mumba and Telugu Titans having virtually secured the top two positions, the fight for third and fourth positions in the Pro Kabaddi League 2015 standings will be an interesting one.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - U Mumba win again to make it 9 out of 10, Dabang Delhi hammer Patna Pirates

Day 22 of Pro Kabaddi League 2015 and U Mumba looked to bounce back from the back of a defeat. Bhupinder Singh started again in the absence of Shabeer Bapu and proved why he is doing so by earning 6 raid points on the night. Anup Kumar had the same tally as he led his side to an easy 31-17 win over Bengal Warriors. Mohit Chillar was outstanding in defense with his 4 tackle points. With this win, U Mumba jumped back to top spot in the Pro Kabaddi League 2015 standings and not even the raiding duo of Jang Kun Lee and Mahendra Ganesh Rajput could put their side back into contention. Bengal Warriors are languishing in seventh spot and do not look like making it to the knockout stages of Pro Kabaddi League 2015. U Mumba have won nine matches out of their ten and sit comfortably with a three point lead and a game in hand. 

Dabang Delhi faced the resurgent Patna Pirates in a home game at Thyagraj Sports Complex in Pro Kabaddi League 2015. The first minute was very dull and this made Kashiling Adake spring into action as he earned a quick 3 points from his riad. Deepak Narwal brought his side on level terms at 4-4 after six minutes but another 3-point raid from Rohit Kumar Chaudhary increased his side’s advantage. Dabang Delhi inflicted the first all-out on Patna Pirates in the ninth minute. Kashiling Adake seemed to be on fire scorching the mat with another two raids for a collective 7 points as his side led 17-7. This included a super raid of 4 points. Dabang Delhi went into the break leading 26-11. Both teams started the second half on a defensive foot. Now it was Ravinder Pahal’s time to join the party who made a herculean super tackle on Sandeep Narwal. Rohit Kumar Chaudhary didn’t want to be left behind as he got a super raid to enforce a third all-out on Patna Pirates. Kashiling Adake was the star performer of the match with 12 points. With such monumental events, Dabang Delhi thumped Patna Pirates 45-26 and closed the gap on their opponents. Patna Pirates remain in fourth position inspite of this loss.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Bengal Warriors' inconsequential win over Dabang Delhi, Patna Pirates win to close gap on top 4

Day 21 of Pro Kabaddi League 2015 saw a battle between two teams languishing in the bottom half of the table. Daler Mehndi was also present to view this exciting Indian sport of Kabaddi and performed his own rendition of the national anthem. Arwind Kejriwal was also sitting in support of his home side, Dabang Delhi and was confident enough to predict a win for them. Dabang Delhi took on Bengal Warriors and looked for a win in order to challenge for a top four spot. In their way stood the defense minded Bengal Warriors. The first half was very tight as Dabang Delhi lead by a solitary point at 9-8. The second half was the same as Bengal Warriors chalked out a 20-17 win over Dabang Delhi. Both the sides had their defense earning points for them as they managed to tick the scoreboard. Sachin Khambe and Ravinder Pahal were game changers for their teams in defense. The only consolation for Dabang Delhi was a solitary point for them for not having lost the game by more than seven points. 

The second tie saw Patna Pirates take on Bengaluru Bulls. This seemed to be a night of close contests as Patna Pirates managed to capture this contest 30-28. Bengaluru Bulls took a lead of 3 points into halftime and Manjeet Chillar looked to be on fire. He scored 8 points for a losing cause as there was not much support from his peers. D Suresh Kumar was the hero in defense for Patna Pirates as he supported his captain, Sandeep Narwal, exquisitely to get his side across the finish line. Sandeep Narwal enforced an all-out on the Bengaluru Bulls thanks to two touch points from a single raid. Not even a super raid from Manjeet Chillar could stop his side from being beaten.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - U Mumba's Winning Run finally stopped, Telugu Titans draw their 2nd match with Puneri Paltan

It is a fantastic Friday in Pro Kabaddi League 2015 and the first match was a repeat of last year’s final between Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba. U Mumba came into this match with 8 straight wins and were looking to make it 9 but in their tracks stood Jaipur Pink Panthers. If they had any chance of making it to the semi-finals, it would mean halting U Mumba in their tracks and the onus was on their defence due to the off-colour raider Jasvir Singh lacking form. The first half was pretty lackluster from a raider’s perspective as they returned empty handed or were tackled on most occasions. The absence of Shabeer Bapu hit U Mumba as they could only manage a paltry 4 raid points in the first half. U Mumba trailed Jaipur Pink Panthers 15-11 at halftime. Known as the comeback kings, U Mumba failed in the second half as well ultimately losing the game 35-25. Anup Kumar’s miserly 2 points from 14 raids told the story. His counterpart Jasvir Singh was also out of form but thanks to the birthday boy, Rajesh Narwal, and Sonu Narwal, Jaipur Pink Panthers managed to maintain a sustainable lead till the final whistle. In spite of Jeeva Kumar’s absence, U Mumba’s defense was as sound as usual but their offence could not make the most of their opportunities. Jaipur Pink Panthers’ trio of Kuldeep Singh, Prashant Chavan and Ran Singh were brilliant in defense as they made the experienced and skilled U Mumba raiders childish. Jaipur Pink Panthers have jumped to fourth spot with 21 points in the Pro Kabaddi League 2015 standings and will look to maintain this position in order to qualify for the knockouts. 

The second match of the night was between Telugu Titans and Puneri Paltan. The side from Hyderabad didn’t look like title contenders in the first eight minutes as they were all-out and trailed 4-12. Wazir Singh simply looked untouchable during this duration but Telugu Titans fought out of their skin to bring the score level at 16-16 in the seventeenth minute. Sukesh Hegde and Deepak Niwas Hudda were the culprits of inflicting an all-out on the Puneri Paltan in this comeback. Puneri Paltan went into halftime with a meager 2 point lead. The second half was a cagier affair as both teams played safe and didn’t give much to the other. Telugu Titans managed to eke out a draw thanks to a superb raiding performance from Sukesh Hegde and Deepak Niwas Hudda. Sukesh Hegde had 9 points from his raids with 3 successful do-or-die raids inclusive of a super raid. Deepak Niwas Hudda also supported him aptly as he scored 7 points for his side. The duo performed exceedingly well and made up for the inability of Rahul Chaudhari. Wazir Singh was the lone warrior for his side as he scored 10 raid points consisting of a super raid. The last minute was the best I’ve seen in a kabaddi game as Puneri Paltan lead 29-27. With the game virtually in the bag, Prashant Rai stepped up for Telugu Titans and scored a point for his side. The experienced Pravin Niwale came in for the buzzer raid and looked to make a legal raid before returning back to his half but was tackled by the Telugu Titans defense and scores were level. Telugu Titans climbed up to the number 1 spot in the Pro Kabaddi League 2015 standings over U Mumba having played two games more.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Bengaluru Bulls humble Bengal Warriors, Telugu TItans annihilate Patna Pirates

Day 3 of the Hyderabad leg at Gachibowli Indoor stadium in Pro Kabaddi League 2015 and we have two mouth-watering clashes. First up, Bengal Warriors were up against the Bengaluru Bulls. Bengal Warriors, having never won a single game against the Bengaluru Bulls were looking to reverse this trend. Prakash Raj was waving at the camera as the game started. Mahendra Ganesh Rajput was slotted directly into the starting line-up after his terrific performance against the Telegu Titans and he continued from where he had left off by getting the first raid point of the match. Ajay Thakur was doing the bulk of the raiding for Bengaluru Bulls and earned a mammoth 7 points in the first half as his side lead 16-10. They went on stretching their 6 point lead and in the35th minute enforced an all-out on Bengal Warriors. The score was 28-17 in favour of Bengaluru Bulls and they had virtually put the game out of Bengal Warriors’ reach. As soon as the team was back on court, Ajay Thakur stepped in and earned 3 points for his side with a super raid. The game ended at 33-22 and the Bengaluru Bulls had convincingly defeated the Bengal Warriors again. Ajay Thakur led the march for the Bulls with 12 points and was brilliantly supported by his captain Manjeet Chillar. Chillar and his men registered their sixth win and now sit comfortably in 3^rd spot in the Pro Kabaddi League 2015 standings. 

The second match of the day was between home side, Telugu Titans, and a Rakesh Kumar-less Patna Pirates. After total annihilation of the Bengal Warriors, they looked to repeat that on the Patna Pirates. Sandeep Narwal started the game and was looking as his usual energetic self. That energy was subdued as he was tackled in less than 10 seconds for probably the fastest tackle of Pro Kabaddi League 2015.

Pullela Gopichand was also seen enjoying the action. Patna Pirates were off to a dismal start and were all-out at the 5-minute mark and trailed 5-11. Things only got worse for the Patna Pirates as they were all-out for the second time at the 9 minute mark. Sandeep Narwal stepped into the lobby looking to fool the Telugu Titans into following suit but they were smarter than given credit for. This led to the second all out and Patna Pirates trailed the Telugu Titans by 15 points. Meraj Sheykh was captaining the Telugu Titans and looked to join in the fun. He got two successful raids in the first half and both were astonishingly, super raids of 4 pointseach. 18 year old raider, Sandeep, also known as the baby-faced assassin was also in supreme touch as he got an ankle hold on Patna Pirates’ Deepak Narwal. This ankle hold enforced the third all-out on Patna Pirates. Mind you, we were still in the first half and three minutes remained on the clock. Telugu Titans went into half-time leading 38-12. Only one minute into the second half and Patna Pirates were all-out for the fourth time which is most likely, a record for most all-outs for a single team in a game. Patna Pirates inflicted an all-out of their own on the Telugu Titans but it was too little too late as Telugu Titans ran away with the game. They won by a thumping 22 point margin and this was probably the best display of attacking Kabaddi by a team in Pro Kabaddi League 2015. Meraj Sheykh did a back-flip at full time and was clearly over the moon as his side won. Rahul Chaudhari was given the green arm-band, a sign of being the best raider so far in Pro Kabaddi League 2015, before the match and showed why he was the right person to don it. He earned a massive 11 points and so did Meraj Sheykh as they took Patna Pirates to the cleaners. Although the attack of Telugu Titans has been on song, they have been capitalizing on the mistakes of their opponents. This will be tested when they face U Mumba again who are a side that make less mistakes. I believe these two will be the finalists of Pro Kabaddi League 2015 unless Bengaluru Bulls can do something about it.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Bengal Warriors' Defense no match for Telegu Titans' Attack

Day 2 of the Hyderabad leg and Telegu Titans faced Bengal Warriors at the Gachibowli Indoor stadium. It was a match between the defense of the Bengal Warriors against the attack of Telegu Titans. Who better to commence the game than super raider Rahul Chaudhari. After earning 14 raid points in his last match, Rahul Chaudhari looks to have gained form and will definitely be amongst the top players of Pro Kabaddi League 2015. The defense of Bengal Warriors was completely run over by the Telegu Titans’ attack. Bengal Warriors could have been all out for the fastest time in this season but it was Mahendra Ganesh Rajput who saved them the blushes on two occasions before Jang Kun Lee was tackled but Deepak Niwas Hudda to finally enforce an all-out on the Bengal Warriors in the 6^th minute of this game. After 11 minutes, Telegu Titans were leading 16-6 and Jang Kun Lee came in to raid. After an empty raid, he was complacent in his return and was touched by 18 year old Sandeep. This was a smart move on his part and showed his presence of mind. Badminton stars Parupalli Kashyap and PV Sindhu were also enjoying some Kabaddi action. The first half ended with Telegu Titans leading 27-9. If a comeback is in the cards, it will have to be something special to turn around a deficit of 18 points. Bengal Warriors looked eager to close down the gap and a 2 point raid from Mahendra Ganesh Rajput helped them. This raid was successful due to a rare error from the baby-faced assassin, 18 year old Sandeep. Telegu star, Venkatesh, was seen celebrating with his home side on every play. Ironically Bengal Warriors who are known for their defense gained their first tackle point in the 35^th minute. The victim was the superstar, Rahul Chaudhari. Oh no, wait a minute. It was thought of as a tackle by the Bengal Warriors but the referee gave it as a super raid for Rahul Chaudhari. Even a review did not help the Bengal Warriors’ lost cause. Finally, in the 37^th minute, Bengal Warriors managed to get a super tackle on Deepak Niwas Hudda. It was too little too late as the Telegu Titans won 44-28 and in dominating fashion against the Bengal Warriors. Deepak Niwas Hudda and Rahul Chaudhari earn points in double digits. Sukesh Hegde and Sandeep also supported in attack and defense respectively. Substitute, Mahendra Ganesh Rajput was the lone star for Bengal Warriors as he earned a brilliant 14 points from his raids which also consisted of a super raid. After this performance, it won’t be too long before he starts a match. Leaking 28 points in defense will be a worrying sign for Telegu Titans when they go up against the stronger teams and that is when their mettle will be tested in the Pro Kabaddi League 2015.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Jasvir trolled by Scoreboard as Jaipur Pink Panthers draw with Telegu Titans, U Mumba make it 7 wins

The action shifted to Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad and the home side, Telegu Titans, started off the proceedings against defending champions, Jaipur Pink Panthers. Telegu Titans got off to a flyer thanks to a super raid of 3 points from Sukesh Hegde. In this raid, possibly the best of the match, Sukesh Hegde moved toward the half line while trying to retreat. His path was blocked though by Sonu Narwal and Ran Singh. Not letting anything stop him, he dived under the pair while at the same time managing to touch them both. Prashant Chavan came in for support with an ankle hold but it was a rather weak one as Sukesh Hegde go another touch and successfully crossed the half line for a fantastic raid. Rahul Chaudhari made another raid for 3 points to give his side a lead of 8 points as the score was 10-2 and Jaipur Pink Panthers were all-out under 7 minutes to register the fastest all-out of Pro Kabaddi League 2015. The first half ended at 20-12 in favour of Telegu Titans and Sukesh Hegde along with Rahul Chaudhari was in quite extravagant form. Jaipur Pink Panthers though made a strong comeback in the second half and were shown the way by Sonu Narwal as he registered 13 raid points on the night. Jaipur Pink Panthers registered an all-out themselves on the Telegu Titans to reduce their lead to just 2 points. As we entered the last quarter of the game, the game was poised for a superb finish. Having already seen a tie yesterday, were we going to see another one. Jaipur Pink Panthers showed exactly why they are the defending champions as they managed to snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat. Telegu Titans started to crumble under the pressure and were all-out twice under 2 minutes. The final raid of the match was made by the 31-year old Jasvir Singh. He went in with the scores tied and looking for the win. But he just went in, crossed the baulk line for a legal raid and returned back much to the horror of his team-mates. Apparently he had assumed that Jaipur Pink Panthers were leading and just made a safe raid to assure his side the win but instead made a fool of himself. We had seen the second tie of Pro Kabaddi League 2015. Sonu Narwal stood out for the Jaipur Pink Panthers whereas Rahul Chaudhari and Sukesh Hegde were excellent for the home side. Jaipur Pink Panthers seem to be on the up and one can only hope that they atleast make the top four to secure a spot in the semi-finals. 

In the second match of the night, U Mumba looked to achieve seven out of seven wins in Pro Kabaddi League 2015. Although they have won every match, the toss hasn’t been so kind to them as they lost all. U Mumba got off to an early lead of 4 points after 10 minutes and none other than Anup Kumar led the way. A gritty Dabang Delhi defense along with good raiding by Kashiling Adake enforced an all-out on U Mumba as they led 15-11 at half-time. Dabang Delhi maintained a lead of 3 points for a good 9 minutes into the second half before they were pegged back by a 2 point Rishank Devadiga raid. Whenever U Mumba has been under pressure, Anup Kumar has stepped up and this time was no different as he managed to earn 3 points from a single raid in the 33^rd minute as U Mumba went back into the lead. They never relinquished this lead and went on to win the match 29-25 to make it seven wins on the trot. Anup Kumar earned 8 points for his side whereas last match’s hero, Bhupinder Singh, fired blanks. Jeeva Kumar and Vishal Mane also put on a good show together in defense. With this win, U Mumba have now beaten all the side in Pro Kabaddi League 2015 and are the team to beat.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Jaipur Pink Panthers win, Patna Pirates and Bengal Warriors register first draw of PKL 2015

Match 27 of Pro Kabaddi League 2015 and it was the Jaipur Pink Panthers up against Puneri Paltan. Navneet Gautam looked off-colour right from the start and this was evident when Amit Rathi came in for a do-or-die raid. Looking for a touch point, he turned back to assess his options. Navneet Gautam looked in two minds and Amit Rathi capitalized on it to earn a touch point. On the other hand, his team-mate Sonu Narwal looked determined to show that Jaipur Pink Panthers aren’t a one raider team with Jasvir Singh. He stepped in to raid and earned 3 points thanks to a swift turn on a block. In the 13^th minute, Navneet Gautam was put out of his misery as he was substituted by Ran Singh. Pravin Niwale came in to raid and was sucked in so deep that Kuldeep Singh successfully tackled him. Kuldeep Singh slapped him hard across his back in that tackle. As a result, Pravin Niwale gave him a you-are-dead-to-me stare to which Kuldeep was quick to apologise and avert any confrontation. To the surprise of many, Jasvir Singh has been rated as a 4-star raider but it is an accurate assessment thanks to his inconsistent performances. Jaipur Pink Panthers went into the half with a comfy 6 point lead. Puneri Paltan never quite seemed to get back into the match and lost by 6 points as the scores read 29-35. Although Ran Singh was not able to earn many points on his own, he was instrumental in support and was always getting into the thick of things. Rajesh Narwal, primarily a defender, showed his all-round skills earning a tally of 10 points. Sonu Narwal also showed his worth and earned a sweet 8 points for his side. Pravin Niwale was the lone ranger for his side and received no support whatsoever. Jaipur Pink Panthers look to be gaining ground on that semi-final spot and will need to continue this momentum to earn it. 

Match 28 of Pro Kabaddi League was a dull affair in the first 10 minutes as both, Patna Pirates and Bengal Warriors, failed to make inroads into the other’s defense. Patna Pirates’ raiders failed miserably during this period.  Bengal Warriors went into the break leading 12-9. Right after the break, Patna Pirates made a substitution with Gurvinder Singh coming in for D. Suresh Kumar. And oh what a substitution it was as he went on to earn 5 points for his side in one half itself. This season some substitutes have been trying to make a name for themselves and players like Ran Singh and Bhupinder Singh have made a mark for themselves. Gurvinder Singh managed to pull the game within reach for Patna Pirates with 4 brilliant raid points. Last minute of this match was probably the most exciting minute of Kabaddi I have seen, ever. In came the firecracker Sandeep Narwal for a do-or-die raid and was looking for a touch point. This raid could have possibly won the Patna Pirates the game but he was successfully tackled by the Bengal Warriors’ defenders for a 1 point lead. The home fans were devastated but did not know what was in store. Jang Kun Lee came in for the buzzer raid and it was a do-or-die raid. Had it not been one, he could have easily crossed a baulk line to make the raid legal and backed off. Unfortunately for him, he needed a touch point for a successful raid and looking for one, he was tackled successfully much to the delight of the home fans as they went crazy in the stands. We have the first tie of Pro Kabaddi League2015. This was a battle of the defenders as they made the match their own. Patna managed to grab 3 points and stay 4^th in the Pro Kabaddi League 2015 standings whereas Bengal Warriors jumped to 7^th.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - U Mumba continue winning streak, Patna Pirates too win

Day 15 of Pro Kabaddi League 2015 and what a feast it was. U Mumba, looking to keep their unbeaten streak alive, faced Dabang Delhi in the first clash of the night. The first half was very physical with tackles flying left, right and center. After 17 minutes, U Mumba trailed 6-9. Vishal Prabhakar Mane was substituted for a raider. This relatively unknown raider, Bhupinder Singh, was thrust right into action and he did not disappoint. He made a super raid earning 3 points in the process and leveling the score at 9-9. The last minute of the match and Dabang Delhi were down to 3 men and looking for a super tackle. Who better than Anup Kumar to exploit that situation but Ravinder Pahal showed just why he has been the best defender so far by getting a double thigh hold on his counterpart and earning 2 points for his side. Shrikant Tewthia was unsuccessful for his side and got tackled post Ravinder Pahal’s super tackle. Again Dabang Delhi were down to 3 men and another opportunity for a super tackle. Ravinder Pahal rose up to theoccasion and made a successful ankle hold on Rishank Devadiga to earn a further two points for his side. Dabang Delhi led by 3 points going into half time. Cometh the hour and cometh the man. The man of the hour was Bhupinder Singh who came on as a super-sub and earned 7 valuable points for his side. He never let Dabang Delhi go beyond reach and managed to get a point whenever needed. The turning point came in the 36^th minute when U Mumba trailed by a point and thanks to a super tackle by Anup Kumar, that deficit was converted into a 4 point lead. Despite a valiant effort by Dabang Delhi captain, Ravinder Pahal, it was not enough as U Mumba managed to grind out a 27-22 victory and remain undefeated so far in Pro Kabaddi League 2015.

Patna Pirates faced Puneri Paltan in the second clash of the night. Ravi Dalal was in and out of the opponents half with a bonus point in a flash while Puneri Paltan looked bewildered as to what just happened. Pravin Niwale had the first super raid of this match where he managed to earn a bagful of points for his side. This season, defenders have been making a mess of the do-or-die raids. They should ideally wait for a raider to make his move but they seem to be over excited at the prospect of earning a point and subsequently lose a point and more importantly themselves. It was witnessed in this tie where Pravin Niwale looked for a tackle unbefitting of his role as a raider and lost out in the process. Patna Pirates went into the break leading 20-13. At the 30 minute mark, Pravin Niwale came in to raid against just the 2 defenders of Patna Pirates. In what seemed to be a super tackle on him, a successful review overturned it into an all-out and he earned 4 points for his team. This brought them close but they never looked to mount a challenge as Patna Pirates won the match 32-28 with another brilliant team effort on display.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Manjeet Chillar inspires Bengaluru Bulls, Patna Pirates make it 2 home wins

In last year’s edition of Pro Kabaddi League, Bengaluru Bulls were responsible for preventing the Telegu Titans from appearing in the playoffs. Would this year be the same again? This was a match of two brilliant raiders, Ajay Thakur of Bengaluru Bulls and Rahul Chaudhari of Telugu Titans. The first half was pretty uneventful with the usual raids and tackles. Nothing notable as such was seen but Bengaluru Bulls had created a quiet lead of 3 points at 12-9. The second half was the complete opposite and the defensive bulldozer, Manjeet Chillar, was at his best. After 23 minutes, Deepak Niwas Hudda stepped in after completing 100 successful raids but was dashed off the court by Manjeet Chillar. Down to 3 men, Bengaluru Bulls had the opportunity of a super tackle and who better than Manjeet Chillar to capitalize on it. He made a full frontal block on Sukesh Hegde to earn 2 points for his side and increase their lead to 7 points. With the score at 27-18 in favour of Bengaluru Bulls, Ajay Thakur made a strong super raid to increase his side’s lead to 12 points. To rub salt into Telegu Titans’ wounds, their last man standing Ajay Thakur was tackled by Manjeet Chillar to earn 3 points for the Bengaluru Bulls and finish the game off at 35-21. Ajay Thakur was at his best earning 9 points for his side and Rahul Chaudhari looked a shadow of his former self. Ajay Thakur was complimented by Manjeet Chillar in defense who earned another 9 points for his side. Bengaluru Bulls kept charging the whole match and completely overthrew the Telegu Titans in this Pro Kabaddi League 2015 tie. 

The second match of the night was between Patna Pirates and Dabang Delhi. The big news of this tie was that Patna Pirates were without their captain, Rakesh Kumar. In his absence, the onus was on raiders like Ravi Dalal and 5-star all-rounder Sandeep Narwal. The first super raid of the match came from none other than Rohit Kumar Choudhary who took 3 points for his side. After 10 minutes, Patna Pirates lead the match by 4 points at 8-4. In the very next minute, Patna Pirates earned another 3 points thanks to a Dabang Delhi all-out. This all-out reflected in the form of a 6 point lead for the home side. In spite of having the best defender and raider of the Pro Kabaddi League 2015 in Ravinder Pahal and Rohit Kumar Chaudhary, Dabang Delhi have struggled this season and no other player apart from Kashiling Adake has played their part for the team. Deepak Narwal was really instrumental in the first half for Patna Pirates as they lead by a massive 15 points. The second half was pretty much the same as Patna Pirates carried on with their momentum to close this match by a humongous 17 points. Deepak Narwal stood out for the home side with his tally of 10 points and was ably supported by his captain, Sandeep Narwal. Patna Pirates were beaten to a pulp by Telegu Titans but have bounced back in a grand manner.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Patna Pirates Win first home game against Telegu Titans

The action shifted to Patliputra Sports Complex in Patna and the home side, Patna Pirates, looked to get their campaign back on track against the in-form team of Telegu Titans in their first home game of Pro Kabaddi League 2015. The first half was full of exuberance as the lead changed hands on multiple occasions. After 15 minutes, Patna Pirates lead 9-8 but a super raid from Sukesh Hegde helped Telegu Titans take the lead back at 9-11. An unsuccessful Ravi Dalal raid put the score at 9-12 in favour of Telegu Titans. Down to 3 defenders, Rahul Chaudhari stepped in to make the most of this situation but was successfully super-tackled  to reduce Telegu Titans’ lead to just a point. The first half ended with Telegu Titans having the psychological lead of 1 point. The moment of the night belonged to Girish Ernak who successfully pushed 5-star raider, Rahul Chaudhari, off the court for a solo super-tackle. After 25 minutes, Patna Pirates lead by a point as the score read 16-15 but this was overturned by a successful 2-point raid from Prashant Rai. Patna Pirates were never quite able to get back into the game. Multiple successful raids from Prashant Rai coupled with Telegu Titans’ defense helped inflict an all-out on Patna Pirates as the score read 19-33 in their favour. The game ended with Telegu Titans winning 34-22 on the night. Rakesh Kumar was again a disappointment and looked a shadow of his former self. A combined effort from Sukesh Hegde and Prashant Rai in attack help their side win and win comfortably. Now the Telegu Titans sit at number 2 in the Pro Kabaddi League 2015 standings and look on course for a spot in the semi-finals.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Puneri Paltan beat Bengal Warriors, Jaipur Pink Panthers disappoint home fans

Puneri Paltan faced Bengal Warriors on day 12 of Pro Kabaddi League 2015. Movie stars Ajay Devgn, Tabu and Shriya Saran from the cast of Drishyam sat in the Sawai Mansingh Indoor stadium watching this enthralling Indian sport of Kabaddi. The first raids of both sides were quite contrasting in nature. Former India captain and current Bengal Warriors captain, Dinesh Kumar, started off for his side but returned empty handed whereas his counterpart, Wazir Singh, managed to get a raid point with a touch on esteemed Bengal Warriors defender, Nilesh Shinde. Both the teams were neck and neck till the 14^th minute until Puneri Paltan decided to turn the screws. A successful raid from Wazir Singh, an unsuccessful raid from Jang Kun Lee, a super raid from Pravin Niwale and another super raid from Wazir Singh virtually put the game beyond reach at 17-10 for the Bengal Warriors. Mind you though, the last two super raids happened ironically in the last two minutes of the half. The second half started off from where we left off in the first and Puneri Paltan maintained their hold on the game thanks to multiple successful raids from Wazir Singh and Pravin Niwale. Not even debutant Muhammad Tariq could help revive the Bengal Warriors fortunes. In the 29^th minutes, Bengal Warriors were down to two defenders and in came Wazir Singh. This fantastic raider was successful in getting an all-out earning his side 4 points in the process. This raid increased Puneri Paltan’s lead to 14 points. This almost put the game out of Bengal Warriors’ reach but this team has a never say die attitude. Mahendra Ganesh Rajput and captain Dinesh Kumar stepped up for Bengal Warriors and put a revival back on the cards. As we entered the last minute, Bengal Warriors had reduced the lead to 3 points. A superb comeback was on the cards as Jang Kun Lee stepped on the mat looking for atleast a super raid. But no fairy tale ensued as he was dashed out and Puneri Paltan won the match 33-29 against Bengal Warriors. This was the first win for Puneri Paltan in 11 games and oh what a win it was. A combined effort from captain Wazir Singh, Surender Singh, Ravi Kumar and Pravin Niwale helped their side achieve this morale-boosting win.

Having won their last game in convincing fashion, home side Jaipur Pink Panthers looked to continue their form against Dabang Delhi in their last home game of Pro Kabaddi League 2015. As I said, the cast of Drishyam was in the house and supporting the home side. Post 10 minutes in the first half, Jaipur Pink Panthers were down to their last man, Ran Singh, and he too succumbed to the defense of Dabang Delhi. This lead to an all-out and Dabang Delhi lead 11-4. Just like the previous day, Jaipur Pink Panthers trailed 10-15 at the 17 minute mark and then roared back into life to win the game. At the end of the first half, Dabang Delhi lead 17-10 against Jaipur Pink Panthers and surprisingly, Jasvir Singh was pointless in the entire half. Jaipur Pink Panthers never looked like getting back in the game and were all-out for the second time at the 29 minute mark. They trailed 15-26 in the process. The game ended with a super tackle for Jaipur Pink Panthers as they lost 27-35 to Dabang Delhi in their last home game of Pro Kabaddi League 2015.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Jaipur Pink Panthers show Glimpses of last year enroute Thumping Win over Bengaluru Bulls

Day 3 of leg 3 and Jaipur Pink Panthers were in desperate need of a win. Jasvir Singh started the proceedings and oh what a start it was. He managed to get a running hand touch on the Giant Killer, Manjeet Chillar. First half was a nervous encounter with both teams exchanging 1 point leads. At the 15 minute mark, Manjeet Chillar faced 2 Jaipur Pink Panthers defenders. Pushing Rohit Rana back, he tried to dodge Gangadhari Mallesh and was almost successful but Mallesh put on a strong ankle hold on Manjeet Chillar and Rohit Rana came back to grab the prized raider for a super tackle. Abhishek Bachchan and his comrades looked pumped post this tackle and a Jaipur Pink Panther revival was on their minds. The last minute of the first half was a total ‘Paisa Vasool’ minute. Jaipur Pink Panthers trailed 10-15 and Kuldeep Singh came in to raid against all 7 of Bengaluru Bulls’ defenders. He was tackled but somehow managed to get a finger behind the mid-line for a super raid of 4 points.

Post this raid, Manjeet Chillar was tackled for an unsuccessful raid. The situation was ripe for Jasvir Singh as he came in to earn an all-out for his side and this is exactly what he did as the Jaipur Pink Panthers converted a 5 point deficit to a 4 point lead. This lead was never relinquished as they won the match by a comfortable margin of 13 points. Both, Ajay Thakur and Manjeet Chillar looked off colour in this encounter. Although it’s too early to call, Jaipur Pink Panthers did show exactly why they won Pro Kabaddi League 2014. If this is something to go by, Jaipur Pink Panthers might still have it in them to reach the semi-finals of this year’s edition.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Big Wins for Bengaluru Bulls & Telegu Titans

It was day 2 of leg 3 at the Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium and Dabang Delhi took on the Bengaluru Bulls. The first 10 minutes were even stevens at 4-4 but Dabang Delhi sprung into life taking a 3 point lead. Now it was Bengaluru Bulls’ turn and they took the lead at 8-7. As if this was not enough, multiple tackles from Somvir Shekhar (a super tackle and a great solo ankle hold on Kashiling Adake) and a super raid from Manjeet Chlliar took the game far from Dabang Delhi as the score read 17-8 at the end of the first half. Dabang Delhi never got back into the match as Bengaluru Bulls kept on stretching their lead further. An Ajay Thakur super raid for 3 points and multiple unsuccessful raids from the raiders of Dabang Delhi kept Bengaluru Bulls on track to win the match 33-18. That was one of the most dominating wins of Pro Kabaddi League 2015 and it was achieved in great fashion. Rohit Kumar Chaudhary held the front for his team with 6 raid points which was not even close to enough as a great raiding effort from Manjeet Chillar coupled with defensive brilliance from Somvir Shekhar helped the Bengaluru Bulls achieve this win.

The second match of the night was between defending champions Jaipur Pink Panthers and potential title contenders Telegu Titans. This match started off on a high as Jasvir Singh put on his dancing shoes but went back for an empty raid. Casual in his retreat, Sandeep chased him but didn’t get a touch. Prashant Chavan looked to capitalize on this but was caught off guard as Sandeep managed to turn himself and get his legs across the mid-line.

At 3-3, Rahul Chaudhari came into raid but was strongly blocked by Rohit Rana. Daler Mehndi was also present watching this enthralling match. First half ended with Telegu Titans leading at 8-7. Early on in the second half, Rahul Chaudhari came in to raid. With 2 defenders remaining, Rahul Chaudhari managed to touch them both for a 4 point super tackle. Rajesh Narwal, though a good defender, stepped up in attack due to a lacklustre performance from an inconsistent Jasvir Narwal. The once feared Jaipur Pink Panthers defense was made to look clumsy by Rahul Chaudhari and Sukesh Hegde who combined for a 16 point raid point tally to give Telegu Titans a 33-22 win over Jaipur Pink Panthers.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Patna Pirates Humble Jaipur Pink Panthers, U Mumba make it 6 Consecutive Wins

The action shifted to Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. It was a Super Sunday like never before as Jaipur Pink Panthers faced the Patna Pirates in their first home game this season. Looking to get back their lost form of Pro Kabaddi League Season 1, Jaipur Pink Panthers went into this match on the back of 2 consecutive defeats. This was a match of Patna Pirates’ attack vs. Jaipur Pink Panthers’ defense. History suggested a high-scoring encounter between these two sides but the present didn’t suggest it. Jaipur Pink Panthers went into the break leading 11-10. This looked a cagey affair as no one was giving the other room for movement on the famed Kabaddi mat. The second half was a much more open encounter as both teams battled to edge out each other. Jasvir Singh stepped up again for Jaipur Pink Panthers and was very aptly supported by Rajesh Narwal in attack but it was not enough as Patna Pirates managed to grind out a 23-29 win. Their captain, Rakesh Kumar, led from the front earning a total of 8 points with Sandeep Narwal supporting him in attack as well as defense. It was the same story for the home side as it all unraveled for them in the last 5 minutes of the game. Pakistani defender Waseem Sajjad was a big no-show on the night.

If the first match was interesting, the contest between U Mumba and Telegu Titans was a must watch. 5-star raider Anup Kumar started things off but returned empty handed. At 1-1, Deepak Nivas Hudda came in for a do-or-die-raid but was no match for the combination of Surinder Nada and Vishal Mane as they slammed him on the ground. Rishank Devadiga has quietly earned himself the title of a do-or-die-raid specialist for U Mumba and added another 2 points to his kitty from it. At 10-6 in favour of Telegu Titans, Pawan Kumar stepped in to prevent an all-out for his side and revive a few of his team-mates. As a substitute for Shabeer Bapu last season, he did well for himself. But this was not the case as Deepak Nivas Hudda caught him in an ankle hold which earned Telegu Titans 3 points as a result of a U Mumba all-out. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. This is perfectly applicable to Anup Kumar who always steps up for U Mumba when they are down. This was the case when they trailed 15-8 and Anup Kumar earned 2 points in a brilliant raid to reduce the margin. The first half ended as Telegu Titans lead 17-11. Majority of that lead can be contributed to Telegu Titans keeping Shabeer Bapu quiet. Anup Kumar has this knack of standing up for his team in crucial situations and was once again doing the same when U Mumba trailed 14-20.

Going up against all 7 Telegu Titans’ defenders, he managed to squeeze out a crucial 2 points and thereby reduced the gap to 4. With the scores at 24-23 in favour of Telegu Titans, the last 5 minutes looked poised for heroes in the making. Well, it was a Gladiator, Anup Kumar who stepped up and took another 2 points to give his side the lead by a single point thanks to a successful review. Into the last minute and Sukesh Hegde raided for his side. He earned a point and reduced Telegu Titans’ trail to a point. Shabeer Bapu had 12 unsuccessful raids on the night and was sent in to raid. Oh what a raid it was as he managed to squeeze out a touch point to increase U Mumba’s lead to 2 points. Sukesh Hegde stepped up again and managed a solitary point but it was all over for his side as U Mumba squeezed out a 27-26 win. Anup Kumar was the star of this match earning 9 very important raid points.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Bengaluru Bulls beat Puneri Paltan for 4th consecutive loss, Dabang Delhi defeat injury hit Bengal Warriors

Day 8 of Pro Kabaddi League 2015 looked an exciting prospect for viewers as teams in the bottom of of the table looked to out-perform each other to earn a semi-final slot. The first match of the night between Bengaluru Bulls and Puneri Paltan got off to a slow start with multiple empty raids in the first 5 minutes but picked up momentum as the score was 10-6 post 10 minutes in favour of Puneri Paltan. Bengaluru Bulls managed to reduce the gap and trailed by a point at half time. The second half started on a better note as Bengaluru Bulls took the lead due to a successful raid from Rajesh Mondal and a brilliant tackle on Pravin Niwale. Puneri Paltan were down to 2 men and in came Manjeet Chillar. Looking to inflict an all-out, he was caught in a superb double thigh-hold by Manoj Kumar earning his side 2 points thanks to that super tackle. There was drama as well. Manjeet Chillar came in to raid under the same circumstances and this time a Puneri Paltan defender stepped out ruling out his super tackle on Chillar. Bengaluru Bulls never looked like having trailed in the game as made had a strong grip and ran away with the match. Bulls won the game 31-26 to hand Puneri Paltan their fourth loss on the trot. In spite of a heroic effort by Manoj Kumar, it was not enough to get his team across the line (no pun intended).

The second game of this night was at Netaji Subhash Indoor Stadium. This was the last home game for Bengal Warriors and an injury hit side looked to make the most out of it against Dabang Delhi. Captain of the home side, Dinesh Kumar, came in for his side’s second raid. He was successful in getting a running hand touch much to the delight of the fans. Kids were dancing and cheering their home side as if they had won the second edition of Pro Kabaddi League only clueless of what the future held for their beloved. 14 minutes into the game and both sides were on level terms when the tall Rohit Kumar Chaudhary came in to raid. He was tackled by 4 Bengal Warrior defenders but somehow managed to get that tall arm of his across the mid line for a super raid earning him and his side 3 points in the process.

Late into the first half, Dinesh Kumar was the solitary man for Bengal Warriors. Coming in to raid, he was successfully tackled which helped Dabang Delhi earn 3 points thanks to an all-out. The first half ended as Dabang Delhi lead 15-10. Both the Korean players appeared for Bengal Warriors and were strong in defense making multiple tackles including a super tackle. The depleted Bengal Warriors never looked threatening as Dabang Delhi won the game 32-21 in convincing fashion.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Dabang Delhi overcome a Spirited Fightback from Puneri Paltan, U Mumba make it 6 out 6 Wins

Day 7 of Pro Kabaddi League 2015 and we had the home side Puneri Paltan squaring off against Dabang Delhi at Netaji Indoor Stadium. Kashiling Adake and Rohit Kumar Chaudhary made some superb raids to put Dabang Delhi ahead at half time as the scores read 25-11 in their favour. Rohit Kumar Chaudhary had 2 super raids earning him a total of 7 raid points whereas Kashiling Adake had the one for a tally of 3 points. Wazir Singh was the lone ranger for Puneri Paltan as he kept fighting for his team. And it was this fighting spirit which helped him earn 7 points from his first 4 raids of the 2^nd half to bring the deficit down to 4 points. With Dabang Delhi facing an all-out, Pravin Niwale came in to raid and got 2 of their defenders for a successful raid. Sandeep Tomar was their last man standing and while looking to revive some of his team-mates got caught the Paltan’s defense for an all-out. The comeback of this Pro Kabaddi League 2015 tie seemed to be complete with Puneri Paltan leading 31-32 as only 7 minutes remained in this game. But, mind you, the game of Kabaddi is not gaining ground in India for no reason. As we entered the last minute of the game, scores were level and in stepped Wazir Singh for the buzzer raid. Was the comeback complete? Oh, I almost forgot, it was a do-or-die-raid. He had to go all out to get the Puneri Paltans the win. Looking for a touch, he got tackled successfully which led to Dabang Delhi getting the win by a point. Wazir Singh and Puneri Paltan were left heartbroken as Dabang Delhi rejoiced in their opponents backyard.

In the 2^nd match of the night, Bengal Warriors faced U Mumba who had a 100% win record to defend. Anup Kumar, the man India loves to watch, started off the proceedings for U Mumba but was pushed off the court in splendid fashion by a solo effort from Bajirao Hodage. At half-time, U Mumba were slightly ahead at 11-9 with Mohit Chillar tackling Mahendra Ganesh Rajput using a WWE-like two-handed Spinebuster. 

After 32 minutes, U Mumba trailed 23-16. Anup Kumar took upon himself the challenge of getting U Mumba back into the game and did so in grand style with a super raid of 3 points. Another Anup Kumar raid, another 2 points as the score was 23-22 in favour of Bengal Warriors. At the 35 minute mark, U Mumba took the lead with a surrender raid from Anup Kumar leading to a Bengal Warrior all-out. There was no looking back for them as the game ended as the scores read 25-29 in favour of U Mumba. They made it 6 out of 6 and maintained their 100% record. Anup Kumar and Jeeva Kumar starred for U Mumba in attack and defense respectively.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Bengal Warriors Lose the Plot in the Final Minute against Telegu Titans

Bengal Warriors, on the back of winning a close game over the defending champions, had momentum on their side along with the home crowd. Looking to impress in Pro Kabaddi League 2015, Dinesh Kumar stepped in to raid. Eager to earn points, he was looking for a toe touch but was dashed off the court by the Telegu Titans defense. Early on in the game, Telugu Titans had built a 3 point lead and in stepped Jang Kun Lee for a do-or-die-raid. Guess what? He touched Rahul Chaudhari, the Titans most successful raider, to earn a point for his side. Now it was a do-or-die-raid for Telegu Titans and Meraj Sheykh was handed the responsibility. Looking for a touch point with a back kick, he was caught in a thigh-hold by Sachin Khambe. In the 12^th minute, Deepak Nivas Hudda came to raid and with already 3 points in his kitty, he looked on song. Parveen Jangra had other ideas as he tackled him from behind with support from his defense to level the score at 6-6. Not only was Deepak Nivas Hudda raiding successfully, he also contributed to the Telegu Titans’ defense with an ankle of his own on Sunil Jaipal. Sachin Khambe hates the stench of defeat and loves the perfume of victory as he tackled Sukesh Hegde with an ankle hold to put his side 3 points ahead. As the score read 13-10, Jang Kun Lee stepped in to raid. Looking for a toe touch, he got away from an unsuccessful ankle hold and in his momentum managed to touch 2 more of Telegu Titans’ defenders to earn 3 points in a super raid. The 1^st half ended with Bengal Warriors having a comfortable 6 point lead. They looked to be in cruise control of this match and wanted to make it 2 out of 2 at home. Even Charu Sharma gave a standing applause to the home side on their 1^st half performance.

The 2^nd half of this enthralling Pro Kabaddi League 2015 match started on a fantastic note with Prashant Rai coming in to raid. He managed to get away from a Dinesh Kumar tackle to earn his side 2 points and more importantly get rid of a top player in Dinesh Kumar. One of the moments of the match was when Jang Kun Lee came to raid. He managed to get a touch point and as he rushed back to his half, Rahul Chaudhari came barging in for his raid. That excitement was unnecessary on his part as he was caught hold of by the Bengal Warriors’ defense. At this stage the score was 18-14 in favour of Bengal Warriors. Rahul Chaudhari looked off colour but shrugged it off in style by acrobatically jumping over Nilesh Shinde to earn his side a point. With the lead diminishing down to a single point, Sunil Jaipal put in a super raid of his own to get 4 points for his side. With just 2 of Bengal Warriors defenders remaining, Deepak Nivas Hudda managed to evade Sunil Jaipal’s tackle for a successful raid. The responsibility lied on Jang Kun Lee to get atleast a point for his side while preventing an all-out but was unsuccessful. The score differential was again back to a point as we stepped into the business end of the match. In the 36^th minute, Jang Kun Lee managed a total of 3 points for his side (2 touch points and 1 bonus point) to increase Bengal Warriors’ lead to 2 points. Into the last 2 minutes and the youngster Sandeep came to the fore for Telegu Titans as he dashed off Jang Kun Lee out of the court. As we came to the penultimate raid of the match, scores were 30-29 in favour of Bengal Warriors with Rahul Chaudhari coming in to raid. He only had 1 touch point to his name until now and looked to get more for Telegu Titans. Oh what a raid it was as he managed to get 2 touch points to give the lead to his side. The score was 30-31 in favour of Telegu Titans and Sunil Jaipul stepped in to raid. This was the buzzer raid and the comeback was complete for Telegu Titans as they won the match by a mere 2 points. Jang Kun Lee seemed to get his touch back and the Bengal Warriors will be hoping for the same.

With 2 of the most difficult matches for Bengal Warriors out of the way, they will take on the most successful side of Pro Kabaddi League 2015, U Mumba. I doubt if they have enough strength to beat my home side. Only time will tell though.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Manjeet Chillar Inspired Bengaluru Bulls Romp to Victory over Patna Pirates

It was time for the 2^nd game of the night. Lo and behold the Bengaluru Bulls versus the Patna Pirates. Bengaluru Bulls were without their star raider Ajay Thakur but this didn’t stop them from claiming a victory over the Patna Pirates in this tie of the Pro Kabaddi League 2015. Rakesh Kumar had a point to prove as he had a pointless 1^st game. But that seemed in the past as he was successful in his very 1^st raid and a total of 6 points in the match. Rakesh Kumar, owner of Patna Pirates, seemed to be a happy man while watching Rakesh Kumar make a successful raid. Patna Pirates seemed to be confident early on and Sandeep Narwal looked lively while raiding. Only thing in his way was the Bull himself, Manjeet Chillar, who threw him out of the court for a brilliant tackle. In the 11^th , Manjeet Chillar stepped in for a do-or-die-raid and was exquisite in showing off his dodging abilities to gain his first raid point in his 5^th raid. At the end of the 1^st half, Bengaluru Bulls lead by 8 points. Mohammed Shami was in the stadium to support the Patna Pirates.

Early on in the 2^nd half, Sandeep Narwal was the last man standing for Patna Pirates but was unsuccessful and thrown out for an all-out. Bengaluru Bulls lead by 13 points at this stage and were cruising ahead. Patna Pirates did put up a spirited fight late in the 2^nd half but Bengaluru Bulls had more than enough in them and finished off the game as the score read 31-26. Manjeet Chillar made multiple strong tackles on Rakesh Kumar but didn’t let him settle and finished with a brilliant tally of 11 points on the night.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Bengal Warriors Come from Behind Thanks to a Samarjeet Singh Mistake

Surprise, Surprise!!! Bengal Warriors come from behind to beat the reigning and defending champions, Jaipur Pink Panthers in this tie of Pro Kabaddi League 2015. They have definitely started on the right foot in their home leg and should look to take this momentum forward. It was 2 time Asian Games gold medalist, Dinesh Kumar leading his team out on to the mat. Showing glimpses of his glorious past in the previous match, Dinesh started raiding for his side but returned empty handed. Korean Jang Kun Lee started well for his side taking the scalp of Jasvir Singh in his very 1^st raid and ultimately 3 raid points on the night. Jasvir Singh was the star performer for his side earning 9 points for his side but all in vain. At the end of the 1^st half, Bengal Warriors trailed Jaipur Pink Panthers by 3 points as the score read 12-15.

Gangadhari Mallesh came in to raid for Jaipur Pink Panthers and was looking for a bonus. Instead he was lucky to get 2 more victims and 3 points for his side. The score read 18-12 in favour of Jaipur Pink Panthers and they looked in a comfortable spot. Jasvir Singh looked to be in supreme touch and earned 2 more points in a successful raid for his side. 31 minutes into the game and Jaipur Pink Panthers had a lead of 8 points with Jasvir Singh coming to raid to further strengthen his team’s position. But Bengal Warriors had other ideas as they pinned him down for a super tackle. Mahesh Goud had a successful 2^nd half coming on as a substitute and earning 3 valuable points for his side.

The last 2 minutes of this game were the craziest that I have ever seen in a Pro Kabaddi game. Bengal Warriors trailed by 5 points and in steps Mahendra Ganesh Rajput for his raid. Even the commentators got him confused with Mahesh Goud in the excitement. He made a successful raid and earned his side 2 more points. As the score read 23-26 in favour of Jaipur Pink Panthers, Jasvir Singh started his raid. Don’t let his build fool you my friends as he is a very agile raider. But Nilesh Shinde had other ideas who grabbed both his legs in a successful tackle to earn his side another point and close the gap. As we entered the last minute, Bengal Warriors captain Dinesh Kumar made a successful raid to decrease the gap to a solitary point. With the last raid of the game, in stepped the last man for Jaipur Pink Panthers, Samarjeet Singh. He was supposed to keep it simple and waste the time without getting tackled. But he wanted to taste glory and was caught to give the Bengal Warriors a great, comeback win. Kolkata is surely going to remember this moment and savour it during Pro Kabaddi League 2015.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Next Destination............Kolkata

With the Mumbai leg of Pro Kabaddi League 2015 over, we now move over to the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Indoor stadium in Kolkata for the next 4 days. Considering the fact that Bengal Warriors have played a solitary match against Bengaluru Bulls which they lost by 8 points resulting in them getting no points, it will be interesting to see how they perform at home.

Dinesh Kumar, captain of Bengal Warriors, lead from the front with 6 points with 5 successful raids. For his team, I would certainly love to see him perform for the sake of his team. Bengal Warriors will be playing 4 matches at home most notably against the in-form U Mumba and Telugu Titans. There is great potential in this Bengal Warriors team with defenders like Nilesh Shinde and Bajirao Hodage who when complemented by raiders like Jang Kun Lee and the captain Dinesh Kumar can give even the best team a fight for their. They didn’t do justice to themselves in Pro Kabaddi League 2014 where they finished a dismal 2nd from bottom but they can improve very much on their performance. I’m sure Kolkata will be hoping for the same.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - U Mumba Achieve the Unthinkable, Win all Home games

Last season, U Mumba won 3 games and drew 1 in their home leg. Coming back to Pro Kabaddi League 2015, U Mumba have won 3 games and were on the verge of doing the unthinkable, winning all their home games which was never done by any team before. Well, the only problem was that they were facing the mighty Wazir Singh and his Puneri Paltan.

The game started at a slow pace with both captains, Anup Kumar and Wazir Singh, returning back empty handed from their raids. After 10 minutes into the 1^st half, U Mumba led 6-4. Wazir Singh was the star performer for Puneri Paltan earning majority of their points in the half. The half ended as the score read 10-9 in favour of U Mumba. It didn’t seem like the Puneri Paltan was going to let U Mumba achieve something unheard of by winning all their home games.

Bajrangi Bhaijaan Salman Khan was also in the Dome to see his home side before they leave for Kolkata to face the home side Bengal Warriors. Debutant Mahipal Narwal after taking a point in his very first raid brought the score level with another raid point early on in the 2^nd half. U Mumba’s defense was at it again with their super tackles. This time though, it was a raider Anup Kumar catching hold of his counterpart Wazir Singh with the support of Mohit Chillar to increase his teams lead. Another super tackle by U Mumba. Same victim, same number of points earner but the hunter was another raider Shabeer Bapu with Mohit Chillar again providing fantastic support. U Mumba went ahead 16-13 but Pravin Niwale earned  points for Puneri Paltan to make the score 16-15. Before you know it, the home side was down to one man and as soon as his raid started, he was plucked out by Paltan’s defense. 

Scores were closer than expected by me till the 31^st minute until U Mumba turned the screws in attack earning points on multiple occasions. Wazir Singh came on as the lone ranger for his raid and after earning a bonus point was looking for more victims but was unsuccessful. This lead to Puneri Paltan being all-out. The final score read 28-21 in favour of U Mumba. Voila! U Mumba had achieved the unachievable by winning all their home matches in Pro Kabaddi League 2015 which has never been done before. Shabeer Bapu was the star performer of the match earning 8 points for his side.

I hope this form can be carried forward by U Mumba and this time they go one step further and lift the Pro Kabaddi League 2015 trophy.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - U Mumba continue their Dominance against Patna Pirates

U Mumba were on a high with 2 consecutive wins in Pro Kabaddi League 2015 and were looking to keep the momentum going with a win against Rakesh Kumar’s Patna Pirates. With the captain and vice-captain of the Indian national team, respectively – Rakesh Kumar and Anup Kumar leading their sides into the match, this one was to be a stunner for sure.

Anup Kumar started raiding for the home team and returned back with 2 points. But Sandeep Narwal leveled the score with a 2 point raid of his own for Patna Pirates. U Mumba defense was also in tandem with their raiders and Jeeva Kumar along with Vishal Mane were plucking out the opponents raiders for fun. Rishank Devadiga supported his captain well earning 2 raid points leaving behind a solitary player for Patna Pirates. But, a genius move on their part to substitute that player with 19 year old raider Deepak Narwal who immediately revived 2 of his team-mates with his next raid.

Rakesh Kumar looked like a shadow of his old self with 0 raid points in the first half and it was the same in the 2^nd half. Anup Kumar, although having a few empty raids, did most of the raiding and slowed the game’s tempo to keep the lead with his side. The final score read 25-20 in favour of U Mumba who made it 3 wins on the trot and will look to do the same against local rivals Puneri Paltan tonight.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Rahul Chaudhari leads Telugu Titans to a Win against Puneri Paltan

After a dominating win against Dabang Delhi in their first match, Telegu Titans looked set for another comfortable victory over Pro Kabaddi League season 1 last place finishers Puneri Paltan. But this was not the case as the Titans got more than a tough match as they trailed 13-14 against the Puneri Paltan in the 1^st half.

This fight was only limited to the 1^st half as the Titans’ skipper Rahul Chaudhari brought around a great revival for his side with his super raids and smart tackles earning his team a total of 14 points. He also inflicted 2 all-outs on the Puneri Paltans and was aptly supported by the 20 year old Deepak Hudda in attack. Wazir Singh, captain of the Puneri Paltan, was the lone fighter for his side earning 7 raid points but they were not even close to enough as Telegu Titans won as the score read 45-24.

Having read an interview of Paltan’s coach Ashok Shinde, an Arjuna awardee and multiple gold medal winner for India, he appeared to be mildly optimistic about his team’s chances in Pro Kabaddi League 2015. Puneri Paltan have also increased their squad size from 15 to 25 members with the inclusion of experienced players. It will be very heartening to see Puneri Paltan improve vastly on their Pro Kabaddi League season 1 performance.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Anup Kumar & Shabeer Bapu star in U Mumba's win against Bengaluru Bulls

U Mumba was welcomed by the home crowd with a massive roar on day 2 of Pro Kabaddi League 2015. Both the star raiders, Anup Kumar and Ajay Tahkur were caught by successful tackles from the opponent’s defense. But it was the local lad Rishank Devadiga to the rescue earning 2 points from his raid. U Mumba seemed to take off with the match but Rajesh Mondal pulled it back for Bengaluru Bulls with a 3 point super raid. Shabeer Bapu was in form earning points from raids and tackles for his side. Anup Kumar who looked off-colour in the beginning went in for the raid and inflicted an all-out on the Bengaluru Bulls. U Mumba went into the break with a 7 point lead with the scores reading 19-12 in their favour.

The local boy Rishank Devadiga seemed to be in form churning out points in his raids. Jeeva Kumar was also making successful tackles in U Mumba’s defense. But the night belonged to the star performers from U Mumba, Anup Kumar and Shabeer Bapu. The 2^nd half was completely dominated by U Mumba who went on to win the game as the scores read 36-23 on the final whistle. Shimokawa came for the buzzer raid and showed some acrobatics but was tackled which led to the end of the match. Another enthralling game for me, as my favourite team won its 2^nd match in a row. I certainly hope that they make it a three-peat with another win against the Patna Pirates.

Pro Kabaddi League 2015 - Telegu Titan's All-Round Effort gets them the Win against Dabang Delhi

Day 1 of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi was just a sample of the brilliant action that would be on display in the following days. On day 2 of Pro Kabaddi League 2015, in a north-south face-off, it was Telegu Titans taking on Dabang Delhi. Rahul Chaudhari, one of the fastest raiders, began his raid and oh what a raid it was. Kashilinga Adake, the star raider of Dabang Delhi, was his victim. One of the best performers of the night was the 18 year old defender Sandeep from Telegu Titans. The trio of raiders Rahul Chaudhari, Iranian Meraj Sheykh and Deepak Hudda helped the Telugu Titans take a lead of 18-8 in the first half.

The Iranian Meraj Sheykh did his bit in the defense as well getting 4 tackle points for his side. Dabang Delhi struggled throughout the match with and were all out again in Rahul Chaudhari’s raid. Ravinder Pal Singh was the standout player for Delhi’s defense with 7 tackle points. Telegu Titans won the game in style by 9 point margin.