Indian Railways crush Maharashtra to claim 72nd Senior National Kabaddi title
Indian Railways powered past Maharashtra with an 18-point victory in the final of the 72nd Senior Men's National Kabaddi Championship, held at the Sama Indoor Stadium in Vadodara, Gujarat.
The final score of 49-31 flattered Maharashtra. Railways were in control from the opening raid and never let their opponents get close enough to threaten a comeback.
Mohite and Malik lead the charge
Captain Sunil Kumar marshalled a clinical all-round display, but it was raider Pankaj Mohite who did the most damage. Mohite scored 12 raid points and earned a Super 10, repeatedly finding gaps in the Maharashtra defence and converting do-or-die raids when they counted.
Ashu Malik chipped in with 8 points through a mix of raids and bonus touches, keeping the scoreboard moving even when Maharashtra tried to slow the game down in the second half.
On defence, Shubham Shinde was outstanding. He recorded a High 5 in the final and finished as the tournament's leading tackler with 27 tackle points across all matches. Railways' defenders combined for 14 tackle points in the final alone, rattling Maharashtra's raiders with aggressive ankle holds and well-timed blocks.
Maharashtra could not match the intensity
Aslam Inamdar, Maharashtra's captain and a familiar name to Pro Kabaddi League fans, had a quiet night. Neither he nor Shivam Patare managed to string together enough successful raids to put Railways under any real pressure.
Maharashtra had beaten Uttar Pradesh in the semi-finals and came into the final with confidence. But the step up in defensive intensity from Railways was too much.
Railways themselves had a scare in the semis, needing a tie-breaker to get past Chandigarh. That tight finish seemed to sharpen them for the final rather than drain them.
Railways' domestic strength continues
Indian Railways remain a force in domestic kabaddi. Their setup draws from a wide talent pool across the country, and they consistently produce squads capable of competing at the top level of national competition.
The tournament ran from February 24-27 in Vadodara and featured teams from states and institutions across India. Several current and former PKL players turned out for their respective sides, making for a high-quality competition throughout the knockout stages.
