And then there were six. After 132 matches, we're down to the final six teams who will battle it out for the Pro Kabaddi League [PKL 10] title over the next week.
PKL 10 Playoffs LIVE: Dabang Delhi vs Patna Pirates; Haryana Steelers vs Gujarat Giants
ESPN tells you everything you need to know ahead of the PKL10 playoffs.
Ok, so who are the final six?
Puneri Paltan: the table-toppers and last season's runners up.
Jaipur Pink Panthers: the defending champions.
Dabang Delhi: PKL 8 champions.
Gujarat Giants: two-time runners up.
Haryana Steelers: Back in the playoffs for the first time in three years.
Patna Pirates: THE most successful team in PKL history
How do the playoffs work?
So four teams will face off in the eliminators on February 26 and the winners will progress to the semifinals on the 28th. The final of PKL 10 will be played on March 1.
By virtue of finishing among the top-2 teams at the end of the league stage, Puneri Paltan and Jaipur Pink Panthers have a direct slot in the semifinals. Puneri Paltan will play the winner of the eliminator between Dabang Delhi and Patna Pirates, while Jaipur Pink Panthers will face either Gujarat Giants or Haryana Steelers.
Tell us a bit about the first two matches..
Dabang Delhi vs Patna Pirates
A classic clash between two raiding units. Both teams average around 17 raid points each game and Dabang Delhi are successful in 40.36% of their raids. They have the mercurial Ashu Malik in their ranks, who has not only seamlessly transitioned into the captain's role since Naveen Kumar's injury but has also cemented his name as one of the best raiders in PKL10. He is currently on 257 raid points, the second-most this season. On the other end of the mat is Patna Pirates captain Sachin Tanwar, who also took up captaincy mid-season and leads his side's raiding duties.
The two deciding factors could be the efficiency of the defences [where Dabang Delhi have a slight edge] and do-or-die raids, which is an area that no one can match Patna Pirates.
Gujarat Giants vs Haryana Steelers
This a traditional defensive battle, with both coaches widely known for their water-tight backlines. Gujarat Giants are led by PKL's most successful captain in Fazel Atrachali and his presence on the mat makes all the difference for them. He leads from the front, while Sombir and Deepak Singh have ably supported him. They have struggled with their raiding as their raiders have all performed in flashes, but Parteek Dahiya has found form in the last few games and will be their go-to man.
Manpreet Singh, who had earlier coached the Gujarat team, has the league's best defensive combination of Jaideep Dahiya and Mohit Nandal. Add Rahul Sethapal to the mix and the three have a combined total of 194 tackle points, which is 10 lesser than what the entire Bengal Warriors team had in 22 games. They also lack a primary raider, but have plenty of options such as Siddharth Desai, Vinay. Shivam Patare and Vishal Tate.
Who are the players to watch out for?
Ashu has been Dabang Delhi's raiding extraordinaire and their talisman this season. How he shapes up in such a crucial phase, as both captain and raider, will be interesting to see. A player who will be keen to find form will be Patna Pirates' Krishan Dhull, who had a superb season but has been patchy in the last few games. He's the league's second-best defender with 73 tackle points and will look to increase his tally. Also keep an eye out for Sachin, there isn't anyone in the game who is as good as him in do-or-die raids.
Parteek will be keen to Gujarat Giants' fortunes and another x-factor in their team is Sonu Jaglan. The muscular raider has shown us glimpses of his brilliance, especially in their home leg when he came off the bench to cull out some incredible wins. Haryana Steelers will bank on their defence and hope Siddharth, aka Baahubali, turns up in these crunch matches.
What's the PKL 10 playoffs schedule?
February 26: Eliminator 1: Dabang Delhi vs Patna Pirates at 8 pm, Eliminator 2: Haryana Steelers vs Gujarat Giants at 9 pm.
February 28: Puneri Paltan vs winner of Eliminator 1 at 8 pm, Jaipur Pink Panthers vs winner of Eliminator 2 at 9 pm.
March 1: Final at 8 pm.