Pardeep and Monu, the Pirates of Patna

The ‘Best raider of the tournament’ Pardeep Narwal led the side in fine fashion, notching up a belligerent tally of over 350 raid points. He was ably supported by 25-year-old Monu Goyat, who came to the rescue during Pardeep’s rare failures. 

The raid pairing rose to the occasion in a season where its experienced defenders Vishal Mane and Sachin Shingade were well below par. After finishing second in Zone B behind table-toppers Bengal Warriors, Patna Pirates had to win three consecutive knockout matches en route to guarantee a third final in two years. 

It defeated new entrant Haryana Steelers, Deepak Hooda-led Puneri Paltan and Bengal Warriors during the process and ensured a title finale against the men from the ‘Manchester of India’. 

It was off to a great start in the campaign, winning its first three encounters, picking up the full quota of 15 points from those. The Pirates then had its best run in between league matches 12 and 16, notching up a total of 23 points during that phase, courtesy of four wins and a tie. 

After confirming its spot in the ‘Super Playoffs’, the side settled for a disastrous end to the league phase, failing to register a win in its last four games before turning on its beast mode in the later stages of the tournament. 

The Ram Mehar Singh-coached finished its league campaign with 10 wins, seven losses and five ties, racking up 72 points from its stipulated 22 games.