3 Pro Kabaddi teams which have never qualified for PKL final
Pro Kabaddi Season 10 is now in the history books. Puneri Paltan became the seventh franchise to win the PKL championship as they defeated Haryana Steelers in a close finale at the GMC Balayogi Sports Complex on Friday evening (March 1).
It was Pune's second consecutive final. The Paltan played their first final last season, where they lost against the Jaipur Pink Panthers. Meanwhile, Haryana Steelers played their first-ever PKL final. The Steelers had qualified for the playoffs twice before, but this was the first occasion of them playing the summit clash.
Speaking of PKL final, nine out of the 12 franchises in Pro Kabaddi League have played at least one final. Here's a list of the three teams which are yet to make it to the summit clash of a PKL season.
#1 Telugu Titans have never qualified for Pro Kabaddi final
Telugu Titans are the only founding team of Pro Kabaddi League to have never played a PKL final. The rest of the seven teams have not only made it to the final but also won at least one title.
In the last three seasons, the Titans have finished last in the standings. It is not that the Titans have always flopped in tje PKL. They finished in the top 4 of the points table back in Seasons 2 and 4.
In the second season, the Titans lost against Bengaluru Bulls by just one point in the semifinals, while in the fourth edition of the PKL, the Telugu franchise lost against Jaipur Pink Panthers by 10 points in the knockout fixture.
This year, the Titans finished 12th with only two wins in the season. Despite having Pawan Sehrawat and Parvesh Bhainswal in the team, the Titans took the wooden spoon home. With the aim of performing better next season, the team owners have roped in Krishan Kumar Hooda as the new coach for Telugu Titans.
#2 Tamil Thalaivas
Tamil Thalaivas joined the Pro Kabaddi League in Season 5. The Chennai-based franchise disappointed their fans by finishing last in each of their first three seasons, but things changed for the Thalaivas as they gained experience.
In PKL 9, the Thalaivas qualified for the playoffs for the first time and even defeated UP Yoddhas in the Eliminator. However, they could not qualify for the final as Puneri Paltan beat them by two points in the semifinal encounter. This year, the Thalaivas finished ninth.
#3 UP Yoddhas
Out of the three teams present on this list, UP Yoddhas have made the highest number of playoff appearances. The Yoddhas joined PKL in Season 5 and made it to the knockout stage in each of their first five seasons.
Quite surprisingly, the Yoddhas never qualified for the final. The closest they came to the trophy was in Seasons 6 and 8, where they lost in the semifinals. Despite having Pardeep Narwal, Vijay Malik, Nitesh Kumar, Surender Gill, and Sumit Sangwan, the Yoddhas failed to qualify for the playoffs in PKL 10. The team owners may look to hit the reboot button ahead of Season 11.