PKL 2018: Top 4 Moments from the group stages
The league stages of PKL 2018 ended on 27th December 2018. This marked an end to a 3-months long nailbiting action that saw six teams qualifying for the playoffs.
U Mumba, Gujarat Fortune Giants, and Dabang Delhi qualified from Zone A, with Gujarat remaining on the top, followed by U Mumba and Dabang Delhi. On the other hand, Zone B saw the qualification of Bengaluru Bulls on the top, followed by Bengal Warriors and U.P. Yoddhas.
Thus, Gujarat Fortune Giants will face Bengaluru Bulls in Qualifier 1. The winner will go to the final, while the losing side will get another chance in Qualifier 2. The other 4 teams will have to do what Patna Pirates did in their previous season, win 4 consecutive matches to lift the astonishing PKL trophy.
The season will be remembered for quite a few close matches and more importantly, high ups and downs. There were quite a few shocking moments, while the others highly relieving. Let us take a look at some top moments from the league stages.
#4 Anup Kumar's Retirement
The day was 19th December 2018. Probably the saddest day in the history of Indian Kabaddi. Anup Kumar, the hero of Indian Kabaddi, retired after 15 years of his career. This was shocking for everyone.
The 'Captain Cool' had a successful career, which saw him leading U Mumba for 4 consecutive years. In that span, he led the team to the victory in season 2. He is remembered for his trademark toe-touches and bonus. He has even captained the Indian team which won the 2016 world cup. He was also a part of the Indian squad which won the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games Gold.
He had a stellar performance in PKL as well. He had 596 points in 91 matches. He had won the MVP award in season 1 where he scored 169 raid points in 16 matches. He is known for grooming some of the biggest Kabaddi stars, which include Mohit Chillar and Surender Nada.
He had won Arjuna Award in 2012 for his excellent contributions in the sport. Even after his retirement, he will be remembered for long.