Pro Kabaddi: 3 teams which have finished on top and at the bottom of the points table
The Pro Kabaddi League is one of the most-followed sports tournaments in India. The league started in the year 2014, and the 10th edition of the competition is in its final phase now.
Puneri Paltan, Jaipur Pink Panthers, Haryana Steelers, and Patna Pirates are the four semifinalists of this year's PKL. The semifinal matches will take place tomorrow evening (February 28) at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad.
Before the knockouts round, fans witnessed an exciting three-month league stage in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10. Twelve teams battled against each other across 12 cities for a place in the second round of the tournament.
Telugu Titans finished last in the points table this season, while Puneri Paltan secured the number one position. Kabaddi is a sport of ups and downs, and in the history of PKL so far, there have been three such teams which finished at the top as well as at the bottom of the standings in a season. Here's a list of those three franchises.
#1 Puneri Paltan completed a successful 10-year transformation challenge in Pro Kabaddi League
As mentioned earlier, Puneri Paltan finished at the top of the PKL standings this season. The Pune-based franchise earned 96 points in 22 matches, setting a new record for the highest points earned by any team in the league round of the Pro Kabaddi League.
Ten years ago, things were quite different for Paltan as they finished at the bottom of the standings. In the inaugural season of the PKL, Pune could only win two out of their 14 league matches. They earned 17 points and had to take the wooden spoon home.
Now that Puneri Paltan have become the most dominant team of PKL 10, one can say that the Pune-based franchise completed a successful 10-year transformation challenge.
#2 Dabang Delhi KC
Dabang Delhi KC were eliminated from the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 playoffs yesterday evening. The Delhi-based franchise suffered a 35-37 defeat at the hands of the Patna Pirates in the first Eliminator of the season.
Interestingly, two seasons ago, Delhi had defeated Patna in the final to win their first championship, while in 2019, the Dabangs had attained the top position in the points table for the first time ever. They earned 85 points in 22 matches to secure the pole spot.
Back in Season 3, Dabang Delhi KC had to settle for the last position. Delhi won only one match in 14 outings and took the wooden spoon home.
#3 Bengal Warriors
Bengal Warriors failed to qualify for the playoffs in PKL 10, but back in Season 5, the Warriors finished at the helm of the Zone B points table. The Warriors registered 11 wins, five losses and six ties in 22 matches to finish first in their zone with 77 points.
Interestingly, Bengal had finished last in the standings just one season before that in the fourth edition of the PKL. The Kolkata-based franchise earned 26 points from 14 matches, recording three wins, nine defeats and one draw in that competition.