The seventh season of Vivo Pro Kabaddi is in its last lap and the top six teams will fight it out for the Championship.
The seventh season of Vivo Pro Kabaddi is in its last lap and the top six teams will fight it out for the Championship.
The top two teams - Dabang Delhi KC and Bengal Warriors - have automatically qualified for the semi-finals. The remaining four will fight it out in the Eliminators on 14th October.
Under the new format, teams have to go through a double round-robin. Teams that finished first (Dabang Delhi) and second (Bengal Warriors) have been sent straight into Semifinal 1 and Semifinal 2 respectively.
This means UP Yoddha (third) will face Bengaluru Bulls (sixth) in the first Eliminator followed by U Mumba (fourth) against Haryana Steelers (fifth).
Winners of the two Eliminators will advance to Semifinal 1 and 2 for another go at a place in the summit clash.
Ahead of the ‘Toughest Week’, the top 6 teams’ captains spoke about their preparation for the playoffs and finals of Vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 7 at EKA TransStadia.
1. Joginder Narwal, Captain, Dabang Delhi K.C
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When asked how it feels to be table-toppers and making it directly to the semi-finals, Joginder Narwal, captain of Dabang Delhi K.C said, “Kabaddi is a game that is loved by all Indians and I know that Dabang Delhi has supporters across India. So I’m sure we will receive a lot of support from our fans even here in Gujarat. The competition is now getting tougher as we head into the ‘Toughest Week’.
"This is the first time Dabang Delhi has qualified for the semi-finals, we are not under pressure, but it is the team’s and my wish to emerge as the Champions this season.”
2. Esmaeil Nabibakhsh, Captain, Bengal Warriors Captain
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Esmaeil Nabibakhsh, captain of Bengal Warriors spoke about the journey and semi-finals match, “The journey of vivo Pro Kabaddi League Season 7 has been incredible, and the team has given their best to make it to the Top 2.
"We are now preparing for the semi-finals, and are aware that the game will be tough. We began the season on a positive note, and we intend to finish it as Champions.”
3. Nitesh Kumar, Captain, UP Yoddha
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The young captain of UP Yoddha, Nitesh Kumar said he is confident as the team steps into Eliminator 1. “The tough battle begins here, one mistake and we are out.
"The team has worked and prepared hard to ensure that we give our best against a strong offensive Bengaluru Bulls team. During the league stage, we won both games against Bengaluru Bulls which helps our confidence but this one is going to be the toughest and a win will take us into the Semi-Finals.”
4. Pawan Sehrawat, Captain, Bengaluru Bulls
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When Bengaluru Bulls captain, Pawan Sehrawat was asked about locking horns with UP Yoddha, he said, “The league stages were tough but it allowed us to study our opponents as we played them more than once. However, now that we are in a knock out the situation, we have to play to our strengths.
"We have a strategy in place against UP Yoddha’s strong defensive squad and we will do our best to ensure we retain the Title.
5. Fazel Atrachali, Captain, U Mumba
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When asked Fazel Atrachali, captain of U Mumba about battling it out with Haryana Steelers, he said, “During the league stage, if we lose one match, we know we have a chance to go back and work on our mistakes to improve. Tomorrow’s match is a Do-or-Die situation if we lose, our season is over and we go back home.
"Haryana is a strong team and they too will come with a plan to limit us but as a team, we are confident and are taking one step at a time. We will give our 100% and aim to win the match.”
6. Dharmaraj Cheralathan, Captain, Haryana Steelers
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Haryana Steelers, Captain, Dharmaraj Cheralathan shared his thoughts on the clash against Haryana Steelers, “We have had a good league stage, the team has performed well and built on their strengths, which brings a good balance to our team.
"We are focused on our match against U Mumba and have won a match and lost the other one against them. So, for the Eliminator we will be looking to execute a strategy based on our learnings from the previous games of this season. As a team, our ultimate aim is to emerge as champions of Season 7.”
7. Schedule for Top Six clash
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The schedule for the Top Six clash:
| Date | Time | Stage | Fixture |
| 14th October | 7:30 pm | Eliminator 1 | U.P. Yoddha vs Bengaluru Bulls |
| 14th October | 8:30 pm | Eliminator 2 | U Mumba vs Haryana Steelers |
| 16th October | 7:30 pm | Semi-final 1 | Dabang Delhi K.C. vs Winner of Eliminator 1 |
| 16th October | 8:30 pm | Semi-final 2 | Bengal Warriors vs Winner of Eliminator 2 |
| 19th October | 7:30 pm | Final | Winner of Semifinal 1 vs Winner of Semifinal 2 |
