Pro Kabaddi 2019: Which are the teams that have qualified for the playoffs this year?
The league phase of the 2019 edition of Pro Kabaddi League will culminate on Friday as the Greater Noida leg will end with an encounter between U.P. Yoddha and Bengaluru Bulls. The organizers had changed the format of the tournament this year as a result of which all the teams became a part of a solitary group and six of the best teams made it to the next round.
While it has always been witnessed in PKL that the final team for the playoffs is decided only on the last two days, this year five teams had already sealed their spot before the commencement of the Greater Noida leg. The final team of the playoffs was decided on the first night of U.P. Yoddha's home leg.
It is surprising to note that the three-time champions, Patna Pirates have failed to qualify for the second consecutive season whereas two-time runners-up Gujarat Fortune Giants will not feature in the finals for the time since their debut.
On that note, let us have a look at the list of teams who have qualified for the playoffs of Pro Kabaddi 2019 -
(The teams have been ranked on the basis of the date they earned themselves a spot in the next round.)
#6 U.P. Yoddha
The Lucknow-based franchise, U.P. Yoddha will play in the playoffs of Pro Kabaddi League for the third consecutive time. They had qualified from Zone B in Season 5 and Season 6 but this year, they proved their mettle with their fine show against all the other teams of the tournament.
Though they did not have the best of starts, U.P. Yoddha managed to come back like champions as always. Nitesh Kumar, Rishank Devadiga, Sumit and Shrikant Jadhav have been the stars of their campaign this year.
#5 Bengaluru Bulls
Though the Bengaluru Bulls changed the leader of their side midway through the season, the defending champions have continued their dominance from Season 6. Pawan Sehrawat has been instrumental in the team's success. He does not have the back of Rohit Kumar any longer but the young lad has lived up to the expectations even in Kumar's absence.
It will be intriguing to see whether the Bulls are able to retain their championship when the tournament progresses into its most crucial stage.