Pro Kabaddi Final Season 10, Puneri Paltan vs Haryana Steelers: 5 interesting facts to watch out for
The Pro Kabaddi final will be held tonight (March 1) in Hyderabad, where Puneri Paltan will lock horns with Haryana Steelers. Both teams have never won the trophy before but have played some fantastic kabaddi this season.
Puneri Paltan have been phenomenal this season. The Pune-based franchise earned 96 points in the league round, setting a new record for the most points scored by a team in a single edition of the PKL.
On the other side, Haryana Steelers finished fifth in the standings but qualified for the final by defeating the fourth-placed Gujarat Giants in Eliminator and defending champions Jaipur Pink Panthers in the semifinals.
Ahead of the exciting Pro Kabaddi final, here's a look at the five facts to watch out for in the Puneri Paltan vs Haryana Steelers match.
#1 BC Ramesh can win Pro Kabaddi final with 3 different teams
Puneri Paltan head coach BC Ramesh has achieved enormous success in his Pro Kabaddi League coaching career. He won the championship with Bengaluru Bulls as their assistant coach in Season 6. A year later, he lifted the trophy as the head coach of Bengal Warriors.
Now, if Puneri Paltan lift the trophy tonight, BC Ramesh can win the Pro Kabaddi final with three different franchises, a unique record in the tournament's history.
#2 Manpreet Singh can become only person to win Pro Kabaddi final as player & coach
Haryana Steelers head coach Manpreet Singh is also on the cusp of making a unique record in the Pro Kabaddi League. Singh won the third edition of the Pro Kabaddi League as the captain of the Patna Pirates.
He has been a part of two PKL finals as the coach of Gujarat Giants, but on both occasions, his team lost. Now, if Haryana Steelers win the final tonight, Singh can become the only person in PKL history to win the trophy as a player and a coach.
#3 Puneri Paltan can break Gujarat Giants' all-time PKL record
Puneri Paltan have already broken one all-time record of Gujarat Giants this season. Paltan finished with 96 points in the league round, breaking Gujarat's record for most points earned in one season. Gujarat earned 93 points in Season 6.
Gujarat won a total of 18 matches that season, and Paltan have won 18 matches so far this season. If Paltan emerge victorious tonight, they will become the first team to win 19 games in a single PKL tournament.
#4 Haryana Steelers can become 1st team to win PKL trophy after finishing 5th in points table
Haryana Steelers attained the fifth position in the final standings of PKL. In the 10-year history of the PKL, no team has achieved the feat of winning the title after finishing fifth.
In the first four seasons, only the top four teams qualified, while in Seasons 5 and 6, the top three teams from two zones qualified for the playoffs. Season 5 champions Patna Pirates had the fifth-highest tally among all teams in that edition, but they were second in the Zone B standings.
From Season 7 onwards, PKL did away with the zone system. All 12 teams have been a part of the same table, and after that, the champion team either finished first or second in the standings.
#5 Mohammadreza Shadloui can break Nitesh Kumar's record in Pro Kabaddi final
Nitesh Kumar owns the record for the Most Tackle Points in one season of the PKL. He earned 100 tackle points while playing for the UP Yoddhas in Season 6.
Puneri Paltan all-rounder Mohammadreza Shadloui has scored 97 tackle points so far in Season 10. If he earns four tackle points against Haryana Steelers tonight, he will set a new record for the Most Tackle Points by a player in one season of Pro Kabaddi.