PKL 11: Playoffs Begin with Yoddhas vs Panthers, Pirates vs U Mumba for Semifinal Spots
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Pune, Dec 25 (NationPress) After an exhilarating four weeks of competition, Season 11 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) has arrived at a critical juncture, with the Playoffs week about to begin at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi this Thursday.
The journey, which started in Hyderabad, has traversed through Noida and now lands in Pune for the final week, where six teams are poised to vie for the prestigious title.
In contention for the championship are the Haryana Steelers and UP Yoddhas, both of whom are yet to claim the title, along with the seasoned Patna Pirates, the Season 8 victors Dabang Delhi K.C., past champions Jaipur Pink Panthers (titleholders of Season 1 & 9), and U Mumba, who secured their playoff spot in the final league match.
The fierce competition leading to the last league match underscores the thrilling nature of this season, paving the way for an action-packed concluding week.
The standings show Haryana Steelers leading with 84 points from 22 matches, followed by Dabang Delhi K.C. with 81 points, UP Yoddhas with 79, Patna Pirates at 77, U Mumba with 71, and Jaipur Pink Panthers securing the final playoff berth with 70 points, just ahead of the Telugu Titans who finished seventh with 66 points.
The Haryana Steelers and Dabang Delhi have directly advanced to the semifinals, leaving four teams to compete for the remaining two spots in the last-four stage through Eliminator 1 and Eliminator 2, which will take place on Thursday.
Eliminator 1 features the third-placed UP Yoddhas facing off against the sixth-placed Jaipur Pink Panthers. Both teams are focused on advancing to the semifinals and will put forth their best efforts to secure victory.
The two teams have previously met twice during the league, with the Pink Panthers winning 33-30 in their first encounter at the GMCB Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad, and the Yoddhas avenging that loss with a 33-29 victory in their home state at the Noida Indoor Stadium.
In the later match on Thursday, Eliminator 2 will showcase the illustrious Patna Pirates against U Mumba, making for an exciting face-off between two of the league's top teams. Both squads have displayed impressive form throughout the league stage and aim to make a significant impact in this critical week.
U Mumba leads their head-to-head matchup this season, having triumphed 42-40 in Hyderabad and 43-37 at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune. The challenge now lies with the Patna Pirates to overturn this trend in the playoffs.
