We're exactly at the mid-season stage in the 10th season of the Pro Kabaddi League [PKL10] and it's the Puneri Paltan who are calling the shots. Only six points separate the five teams below them as the next 66 games will define who will progress to the playoffs.
Before the season moves to the Jaipur leg, we take a breather to assess each team, look at what makes them tick (or doesn't), and grade them (A+ being highest, F being lowest).
Bengal Warriors
Grade: D
What has worked: Most of their success can be attributed to their raiding -- 256 raid points in 11 games. It's a trademark Warriors thing to do, but they can still do it better.
What has not worked: The two units -- raid and defence -- are often not in sync. Either the raiders do well or the defenders do, and very rarely have both units complemented each other.
Best player: Shubham Shinde. The right corner racked up ELEVEN tackle points in Bengal Warriors' win over Tamil Thalaivas. That ranks among the best defensive performances by a defender in a single game and he has been one of their more consistent players.
Surprise performer: Nitin Kumar. The right raider, in his debut PKL season, has emerged as a fantastic raiding option and in fact, played as the lead raider when Maninder missed a game.
What they need to improve: When they're playing well, they look great. But when they're not firing on all cylinders, they're awful. They need to balance out their performances and find a rhythm. One win in their last seven games doesn't exactly scream consistency.
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Bengaluru Bulls
Grade: C-
What has worked: Not much, and that's why the Bulls find themselves with seven losses in 12 games.
What has not worked: Rhythm. Bengaluru Bulls have won two successive games only once this season. Yep, let that sink in. They began with four losses and then found form in their home leg, but have been on and off since. Their form guide reads W, L, W, L, W, L...which highlights the issue.
Best player: Surjeet Singh. The veteran defender has led this young team and been the rock in defence. He's #8 on the list of most tackle points, is their leading defender and scored a superb eight tackle points in the Bulls' miraculous win over Patna Pirates a few days ago.
Surprise performer: Has to be Surjeet again. He managed just 19 points last season, but he's on a purple patch now, especially after winning the Asian Games gold. Surjeet has nearly twice the number of points he had last year...and we've still got half a season to go!
What they need to improve: It's a fairly individual-centric team, and that needs to change. Either Bharat will go all guns blazing or a defender will put up a spirited performance, but the others don't particularly add to the scorecard. That's something that coach Randhir Sehrawat will have to address going forward.
Dabang Delhi
Grade: A
What has worked: The raiding department has seen them through so far. The likes of Naveen Kumar, Ashu Malik and Manjeet have been in top form and that's explained by the fact that Dabang Delhi boast an impressive 43% raid success. They've also inflicted the second-most All Outs: 17.
What has not worked: The defence. They have the second-least number of tackle points. Far from ideal for a team that's primed to make the playoffs.
Best player: Ashu Malik. Has stepped up big time this season and has seamlessly shouldered the captaincy responsibilities in Naveen's absence. He's ranked #2 among raiders at the midway stage.
Surprise performer: Yogesh. The PKL debutant has given a fine account of himself and really owned the right corner position. He's not afraid to throw himself into tackles and it shows: he's Dabang Delhi's best defender and among the top 20 in the League.
What they need to improve: Maintaining consistency. Dabang Delhi got off to a topsy-turvy start and have since settled down to grab four successive wins. But with Naveen set to miss the remainder of the season, the team will need more composure to keep the good times rolling.
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Gujarat Giants
Grade: A
What has worked: They have made excellent use of the bench, which gives coach Ram Mehar Singh numerous options. Sonu Jaglan and Parteek Dahiya are the best examples of that as they're brought on when the game is slipping away and more often than not they've swung the game in Gujarat Giants' favour [remember those incredible Super 10s from Sonu and those 22 raid points from Parteek?].
What has not worked: The Iranian duo of captain Fazel Atrachali and all-rounder Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh. They're both incredible players and capable of changing the course of a game in a matter of seconds...but they just haven't done any of that this season.
Best player: Sonu Jaglan. Has played only eight games, but was incredible in them. He needs to play more often.
Surprise performer: Sonu Jaglan. He's been a revelation for them, coming off the bench to power the side to three wins. He's quick, super powerful and has an arsenal of manoeuvres that make him very hard to stop. Certainly their find of the season.
What they need to improve: There isn't a lot of scope to improve, they are coached by PKL's most successful coach Ram Mehar Singh and led by PKL's most successful captain in Fazel. They can continue doing what they're doing, with maybe an added emphasis on winning by bigger margins -- five of their seven wins had a margin of seven points or less.
Haryana Steelers
Grade: B
What has worked: They've thrived in situations when they have been down to three men and have come out on top with a league-high 18 Super Tackles. This has helped them delay, if not avoid, All Outs and has also gotten them valuable points in high-pressure instances. As is with any Manpreet Singh team, the defence has been their strength.
What has not worked: Siddharth Desai was roped in for big money to shoulder the raiding unit, but he has endured a poor start.
Best player: Jaideep Dahiya. The left cover has continued his rich vein of form from last season and has led from the front as the captain.
Surprise performer: Vinay has stepped up in Siddharth's absence and has taken over the raiding duties. He has done well for himself and has become the Steelers' main raider now. He's very quick on the mat and extremely agile, which has often allowed him to sneak under the defensive chain.
What they need to improve: The raiding, desperately, needs to get better.
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Jaipur Pink Panthers
Grade: A
What has worked: The fact that most of their players were part of the team last year has given them a lot of stability. That's helped them recover from losses and now jump into a seven-game unbeaten run.
What has not worked: Goes without saying, the defence has been woeful. Their supporting raiders also need to improve - Ajith Kumar and Bhavani Rajput have collectively scored 77 points...which is 30 less than how many Arjun Deshwal has.
Best player: Arjun Deshwal. Last season's MVP remains this season's top raider. He's had a couple of off games but has regularly scored points for fun. He's scored 44 points in his last three games and Jaipur Pink Panthers were unbeaten in each of them. Coincidence? Nah.
Surprise performer: They retained 90% of their title-winning squad from last season, so there really has been no emergence of new talent.
What they need to improve: Same as last year -- defence. They have the least-performing defence in PKL10 with just 105 tackle points. And one man has scored 30% of that -- Ankush Rathee. The rest of the defence needs to pull up their socks.
Arjun Deshwal - Jaipur Pink Panthers' raider for all seasons
Patna Pirates
Grade: C
What has worked: The ability to deliver under pressure, in most situations. The three-time champions have the most points from do-or-die raids: 45. And one man, Sachin Tanwar, has gotten 19 of those.
What has not worked: Their inability to ride the momentum, during games and the course of the season.
Best player: Sachin Tanwar. He has, time and again, bailed the Pirates from precarious situations, especially in those tricky do-or-die situations. He's added an extra element to his game by going for more tackles this season and that makes him an indispensable part of the three-time champions.
Surprise performer: Sudhakar. He's been a breath of fresh air in the Pirates' line-up. He's strong like Maninder Singh, he's quick like Naveen Kumar and has a fantastic skillset like Arjun Deshwal...he's the complete package.
What they need to improve: Consistency is the need of the hour. They haven't won more than two games in a row in PKL 10, that's not something you expect from the League's most successful team.
Puneri Paltan
Grade: A+
What has worked: Everything, literally.
What has not worked: If we had to nitpick, their bench hasn't really got a chance. But again, what do you do when the starting 7 is so good?
Best player: Mohammadreza Shadloui. The Iranian showman has been consistent through the first half of PKL10 and it's no surprise that he has the highest number of successful tackles. Oh, and his penchant for raiding has made him an ultra-tricky customer this season.
Surprise performer: Mohit Goyat. He was always good, but this time he's real good. He's transitioned into a fantastic all-rounder: he can raid, he can defend and can do it all on both ends of the mat.
What they need to improve: There's not a whole lot to say here, but perhaps some composure all around is needed -- their raiders have entered the lobbies without tagging a defender and the defenders have also gone out of bounds on a few instances.
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Tamil Thalaivas
Grade: D
What has worked: The defence, in bits and pieces. Tamil Thalaivas have banked on their defence for large parts and it has been their only major redeeming aspect this season.
What has not worked: Lack of consistency. Their raiding becomes toothless on the day when Narender, their star raider, does not perform. The same applies to the defence if Sahul Gulia and Sagar Rathee don't show up. The team's core is built on these few individuals and that needs to change. The absence of a senior figure has also hurt them.
Best player: Sahil Gulia. He has turned up when the team hasn't and has manned the defence alongside skipper Sagar Rathee. Sahil has been a menace on the left corner -- he got a stunning 10 tackle points against the Haryana Steelers. He's currently #3 on the list of defenders.
Surprise performer: None, really. None of the fresh faces have made a mark.
What they need to improve: How they handle the last few minutes. Their strategies have been off in the dying moments of games and their improper calculations have also led to losses. This is among the prime reasons why they find themselves hanging onto the 11th spot on the table with just three wins to their name.
Telugu Titans
Grade: F
What has worked: Nothing.
What has not worked: Everything.
Best player: Pawan Sehrawat. He has 97 raid points from 10 games and the most Super 10s so far...but his team has only one victory.
Surprise performer: Sandeep Dhull. He was signed on at the last minute as an injury replacement for Vinay and has been the defence's saving grace. He has 25 tackle points in nine games, which is six less than what he managed all of last season.
What they need to improve: Everything. One can concede the fact that Telugu Titans have 10 debutants in their squad of 18, but that's still no justification for their listless performances. One win in 11 games in PKL 10...and 5 wins in their last 55 games mean a complete overhaul is needed.
UP Yoddhas
Grade: D-
What has worked: Not much. Pardeep Narwal remains a pale shadow of his former self and Surender Gill's injury had them struggling. The defence has also been very leaky.
What has not worked: They need to be a bit more stringent when it comes to conceding points: they have given away 450 points and have been on the receiving end of 19 All Outs. They've lost three games by a margin over 10 points and more, which is also a cause for concern.
Best player: Sumit. The left corner has been their most effective performer and he currently leads the list for most tackle points with 40.
Surprise performer: Gurdeep has added more firepower to their defence and is getting more gametime. With 29 points in 12 games, he's enjoying his career's best PKL season.
What they need to improve: Everything, virtually. They've won just three of their 11 games and that's a crime with the kind of squad they have.
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U Mumba
Grade: B
What has worked: The multiple raiding options. Guman Singh, Amirmohammed Zafardanesh, Visvanth V and Jai Bhagwan have all chipped in and that's why U Mumba have the most successful raids among the 12 teams.
What has not worked: The defence needs to turn it up a notch. They have the names -- Rinku, Mahender Singh and Sombir -- but they just have not been effective.
Best player: Amirmohammed Zafardanesh. The young Iranian came on board after winning silver at the Asian Games and has enjoyed a fine season. He's a mercurial raider and is proving to be someone the team can bank on.
Surprise performer: Bittu. He was drafted into the side when Rinku was injured and seized the chance by picking up six tackle points on his debut. He's one to look out for.
What they need to improve: The tackling. They average nine successful tackles a game and if that number could improve, then their raiders will be revived sooner and that could spur a change in their fortunes.
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