Analytics has become crucial in various games in the current gaming scenario. Previously, analytics was used in cricket, but it is increasing in other games, such as Kabaddi. Kabaddi is a strategic sport where the raids and tackles must be well-planned. As the Pro Kabaddi League becomes popular, the teams depend on advanced analytics to stay ahead of their competitors.
Kabaddi requires tactics to win. The data gives a distinct picture of the teams and the players’ forms. Want to know how analytics is influencing the Kabaddi games? Read this article to gain more information.
Analytics in Kabaddi
Analytics in Kabaddi can be used to form better and more informed decisions. When coaches and analysts study these numbers and use this data to create a strategy for a particular match, they can increase their strengths and cushion their weaknesses. To make proper use of the analytics, the teams can collect the statistics from different sources, such as –
Match statistics that include records of raids, tackles, and scores of the teams
Performance tracking of individual players as well as the teams
Analysis of a team’s performance against another particular team (when they are facing each other as opponents)
Apart from these basic analytics, they must also have information about their players’ and opponents’ injuries and forms. Observe the real-time game situations for the apt utilization of the analytics.
Understanding the players’ performance
A team’s future depends on its performance. Whether it is the Raiders or the defenders, the performance of both can impact the team’s overall performance.
Raiders:
The coach must understand the raider’s efficiency and success rate in scoring points and return safely. Moreover, they must learn more about their raiders’ ability to score bonus points.
The data concerning how often a raider manages breaking from the defenders and their preferred moves allow the teams to understand which moves work best in different situations.
Defenders:
The defender’s performance depends on their tackle success rate. If a coach wants to understand the gaming style of their team or the opponents, they must closely notice the tackle type used by the players and their time of strike to determine what a player prefers, passive or aggressive gameplay. Based on this, the team can decide the player’s name for a game and set their game strategies.
Building a Stronger Team Strategy
In Kabaddi games, the team with better gaming tactics has an upper hand over its opponents. Therefore, it is not enough to board great individual players with excellent performance but to aim for better teamwork and strategies
Raiding:
While some raiders perform better in do-or-die raids, others are good at scoring quick touchpoints. It will help the coach understand which raider to put in what situation. A team must possess data regarding non-performing raiders while facing a particular defender. With this detail, the coach may decide whether to send another player in their place. On the other hand, if a team knows about a specific defender with a low tackle success rate, they will target him more often, and you can handle this situation using strategies derived from the analytics.
Tackling:
When a team is going for tackling, they must distinctly know about the opponents’ raiding style. It will allow them to find the most effective positions their defenders can use. Knowing which raider has a high success rate and better escape style, the defending team can figure out how to strengthen their defense. With the help of analytics, the coach will be able to understand the raiding style of the opponent team. It will make it easier for them to find the spot-on tackle for their strategies.
Studying the Opponents:
Only having data about your team is not enough in Kabaddi. As a coach, you must have a proper idea about the performance of the other teams, too. It will allow you to develop an understanding of your opponent’s performance and gaming style.
Opponent’s data can be collected by –
Watching past matches to understand their gaming style and recognize the patterns in raiding and tackling.
Studying individual player stats to find their strengths and weaknesses
Identifying which players are aggressive and which are defensive
If a team can figure out the weaknesses of the opponent team’s top players, it becomes easy for them to form strategies. This level of analysis helps teams stay one step ahead.
How are analytics of real-time matches used for decision-making?
In kabaddi games, the teams don’t just use past analytics to make decisions. They use real-time match data to use during the games. Let’s check how this works –
Live stats tracking –
Teams monitor successful raids and tackles occurring in real time to decide whether they want changes in their gaming strategy.
Adjusting strategies mid-game
If the opponent team is trying out a different pattern of raiding or tackling, the team needs to adjust its strategy, too. With the help of real-time data analytics, the team can change their tactics to make them more effective during the game.
Making Quick Substitutions –
A coach may use the real-time data to decide if they need a substitution. For example, if a raider struggles in a particular match, the coach might send in a fresh player using analytics to decide on more suitable players.
Preventing Injuries
Kabaddi is a contact-based game and is physically very demanding. If a player continues to play with injury, that can change the entire course of a season. Analytics helps monitor players’ health conditions, reducing the risks of injuries. Players can stay fit and perform best when teams use better injury prevention strategies.
Tracking Player workload –
If a raider performs too many raids during a match, they can get injured. The coach can use the analytics to limit a player’s time on the mat.
Monitoring the fatigue level of the players –
Worn-out players on the mat can severely increase their chance of injury. Team coaches must use wearable technology to track players’ fatigue levels for the upcoming games.
Identifying Injury Patterns –
Some players have gaming styles that make them prone to injuries. If a coach spots such an injury pattern in players, they can take protective measures, like providing exclusive training to the team players.
Making Kabaddi More Exciting for Fans
Besides making Kabaddi fun, analytics help coaches and team selectors form strategies and improve performances. The fans who stay glued to the screen during the Kabaddi matches can use these analytics to understand the game better.
Advanced Statistics on Screen –
During the matches, fans can see the stats of both teams, including their raid success percentage, tackle efficiency, and heat maps. Thus, they can have a better insight into the live matches.
More insightful commentary –
Analytics help broadcasters explain the team’s strategies and performances in detail, making the game
fun for viewers. Even audiences unaware of Kabaddi can use this commentary to learn more about the teams and players’ performance.
Fantasy Leagues –
The Kabaddi games are rapidly gaining popularity, resulting in a massive Fantasy Kabaddi user base on various online gaming platforms. These users can win exciting cash rewards by winning the tournaments and paid games. With analytics, they can make informed decisions about the game, increasing their chance of winning and getting better rewards.
Future of Analytics in Kabaddi
Kabaddi is no longer a game played on school grounds. Today, it is a data-driven sport. With AI and other advanced technology, analytics will become smarter and more exciting.
AI helps analyze players’ performance and determine their areas of improvement while indicating the skills they must develop.
Similarly, you can use AI to determine a team’s performance and their performance in previous games against the opponents. It will help you to find effective strategies. It will also help the management to form a well-balanced team.
Use technologies to get fast and accurate analytics during live matches, allowing coaches to make better and more informed decisions about the ongoing games.
AI can take players’ fitness to the next level. The devices can point out the player’s fitness level and decrease the risk of injuries to a certain level.
Advanced statistics can offer a richer game viewing experience for the audience.
AI helps teams have deeper insights concerning team composition, patterns of raids and tackles, and fitness level.
Conclusion
Kabaddi is often taken as a game of speed and strength. But, as the use of analytics is growing, this idea is changing. As analytics helps the teams to develop better strategies and important insights about the game, it is inclining more towards becoming a game of planning and outthinking the opponents. It is not just changing for the teams and coaches! The fans are also ripping the fruits of it. Whether an audience who wants a better understanding of the kabaddi games or a serious player of fantasy kabaddi games, check the analytics. It will make the experience more exciting for you.
