PKL 11 Season Review: From Haryana Steelers’ maiden title to Bengaluru Bulls’ dismal campaign

The recently-concluded Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 11 was another
blockbuster. After 137 high-octane matches, Haryana Steelers clinched their maiden
PKL title as they defeated Patna Pirates 32-23 in an enthralling final at the Shree Shiv
Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune on Sunday, December 29.

Haryana Steelers’ star all-rounder Mohammadreza Shadloui bagged the Most Valuable
Player (MVP) award after he concluded the season with 57 raid points and 82 tackle
points across 24 matches.

Tamil Thalaivas’ Nitesh Kumar earned the Best Defender of Season 11 award after his
outstanding performances throughout the competition. Nitesh stole the limelight after he
accumulated 77 tackle points in 22 matches, including eight High 5s - the most by any
defender in PKL Season 11.

Patna Pirates’ Devank was adjudged the Best Raider of Season 11 after he guided his
team to the PKL final. Devank amassed 301 raid points in 25 matches, including
registering 18 Super 10s - the most in any PKL season and tied with Ashu Malik of
Dabang Delhi K.C., who also managed the same feat in PKL Season 11.

Another Patna Pirates’ rising star Ayan Lochab claimed the New Young Player award
after his scintillating performances in his debut campaign. The youngster accrued 184
raid points in 25 matches, including seven Super 10s to his name.

With that being said, let’s have a look at how each team performed in Pro Kabaddi
Season 11.

Bengal Warriorz

Bengal Warriorz failed to qualify for the Playoffs for the fourth consecutive season since
clinching the title in PKL Season 7. Under head coach Prashant Surve, the Warriorz
managed just five wins in 22 matches to finish 10th in the PKL Season 11 standings.
For the Warriorz, Nitin Kumar Dhankhar was the standout raider with 118 raid points
while Fazel Atrachali and Nitesh Kumar were the leading defenders with 59 tackle
points each.

Bengaluru Bulls

Pro Kabaddi Season 6 champions Bengaluru Bulls had a season to forget after finishing
at the bottom of the table. The Randhir Singh Sehrawat-coached Bulls secured just two
victories, one tie and succumbed to 19 defeats in PKL Season 11. Meanwhile, captain
Pardeep Narwal became the first raider to reach 1800 raid points in PKL history despite
accumulating only 111 raid points this season. For the Bulls, Nitin Rawal was their best
defender with 74 tackle points in 22 matches.

Dabang Delhi K.C. ​​

Dabang Delhi K.C. were one of the dominant teams in the Pro Kabaddi Season 11. With
13 wins, four ties and five losses, Dabang Delhi directly qualified for the PKL 11 semi-
finals after finishing second in the standings. However, Dabang Delhi’s incredible 15-
match winning streak later came to an end as Patna Pirates secured a narrow 32-28
victory in semi-final 2. Ashu Malik once again hogged the limelight with 262 raid points
while Yogesh Bijender Dahiya was the backbone of the defence with 75 tackle points.

Gujarat Giants

Gujarat Giants struggled throughout the season as they finished 11th in the 12-team
standings. Just like the Warriorz, the Giants registered just five victories as they
accumulated 38 points from 22 matches under Ram Mehar Singh. After failing to qualify
for the Playoffs, the Giants have parted ways with their head coach. Meanwhile, Gujarat
Giants’ star raider Guman Singh was one of the positives as he concluded the season
with 159 raid points in 22 matches. In the defence, Jitender Yadav accumulated 56
tackle points in 19 games.

Haryana Steelers

Haryana Steelers continued their dominance in Pro Kabaddi Season 11 to claim their
first-ever PKL title. Under the tutelage of head coach Manpreet Singh, Haryana Steelers
topped PKL 11 standings with 16 wins and six losses to storm into the semi-finals. The
Steelers pipped UP Yoddas 28-25 in semi-final 1 and later overcame Patna Pirates in
the summit clash to bag their maiden PKL trophy. Mohammadreza Shadloui was the
standout player for the Steelers with his all-round performances. Vinay (164 raid points)
and Shivam Anil Patare (158 raid points) also played crucial roles in guiding the
Steelers to the coveted title.

Jaipur Pink Panthers

Two-time PKL champions Jaipur Pink Panthers qualified for the Playoffs for the third
consecutive season. Having registered 12 wins, two ties and eight losses, Jaipur Pink
Panthers finished sixth in the Pro Kabaddi Season 11 standings to squeeze into the
Playoffs. However, Jaipur Pink Panthers later went down 18-46 to UP Yoddhas to be
knocked out in Eliminator 1. Star raider Arjun Deshwal ended his campaign with 227
raid points in 23 matches for the Pink Panthers. Meanwhile, Ankush
Rathee was their most decisive player at the backline with 68 tackle points in 23 games.

Patna Pirates

Patna Pirates were one of the consistent teams in the recently-concluded season. The
Narender Redhu-coached side finished fourth in the PKL Season 11 standings with 13
wins, two ties and seven losses to qualify for the playoffs. The three-time PKL
champions later beat U Mumba 31-23 in Eliminator 2 and followed it up with a 32-28 win
over Dabang Delhi in the semi-final to storm into their fifth PKL final. While the Pirates
failed to secure their record-extending fourth PKL title, they showed why they are the
most successful team in the league. For the Pirates, Devank took the kabaddi mat by
storm with 301 raid points while Ankit Jaglan was their top defender with 79 tackle
points.

Puneri Paltan

Defending PKL champions Puneri Paltan failed to qualify for the playoffs after finishing
eighth in the Pro Kabaddi Season 11 standings. Under head coach BC Ramesh, Puneri
Paltan were inconsistent throughout the season with just nine victories, three ties and
10 defeats. Pankaj Deepak Mohite was their player of the season with 110 raid points in
22 matches. Puneri Paltan’s left-corner defender Aman Mukesh also impressed with 52
tackle points in 16 matches in PKL Season 11.

Tamil Thalaivas

Tamil Thalaivas had a disappointing PKL Season 11 campaign after they finished ninth
in the standings. The Tamil Nadu-based outfit went ahead with a dual-coach system by
appointing Udaya Kumar as chief coach and Dharmaraj Cheralathan as strategy coach.
While the Thalaivas showed promise throughout the season, they were inconsistent
having registered only eight wins, one tie and 13 losses. Nitesh Kumar was one of the
huge positives for the Thalaivas as he bagged the Best Defender of Season 11 award
with 77 tackle points in 22 matches. Iran’s Moein Shafaghi was their standout raider
with 103 raid points in 14 matches.

Telugu Titans

Telugu Titans missed the playoffs by a whisker after they finished seventh in the Pro
Kabaddi Season 11 standings. Telugu Titans made a great start to their season,
however, an injury to captain Pawan Sehrawat derailed their PKL Season 11 campaign.
Having registered 12 victories and 10 defeats, the Titans accumulated 66 points from 22
matches, four points behind sixth-placed Jaipur Pink Panthers. Vijay Malik was the top
performer for the Titans with 172 raid points. In the defence, Ankit stole the limelight for
the Titans with 45 tackle points in 22 matches.

U Mumba

Pro Kabaddi Season 2 champions U Mumba qualified for the Playoffs after three
seasons. Under head coach Gholamreza Mazandarani, U Mumba secured the final
Playoffs spot with a 36-27 victory over Bengal Warriorz in the last league match. With
12 wins, eight losses and two ties, U Mumba finished fifth in the PKL Season 11
standings with 71 points from 22 matches. U Mumba’s campaign later ended after they
lost to Patna Pirates in Eliminator 2. For U Mumba, Ajit Ramesh Chouhan was their
player of the season with 185 raid points in 23 games. Sunil Kumar also played a pivotal
role at the backline with 54 tackle points in 23 matches.

UP Yoddhas

UP Yoddhas were one of the standout teams in the Pro Kabaddi Season 11. The
Jasveer Singh-coached UP Yoddhas qualified for the Playoffs after finishing third in the
league phase with 13 wins, three ties and six losses. The UP Yoddhas continued their
impressive run as they later thrashed Jaipur Pink Panthers 46-18 in Eliminator 1 to book
their place in the semi-finals. Haryana Steelers ended UP Yoddhas’ campaign as they
secured a nail-biting 28-25 win in the semi-final to end their title dreams. Bhavani Rajput
(151 raid points) and Gagan Raju Gowda (145 raid points) were the top raiders for the
Yoddhas this season, while Hitesh was their top defender with 74 tackle points.