Patna Pirates vs Bengaluru Bulls: In a bid to reclaim the Pro Kabaddi title, defending champions Bengaluru Bulls will face a three-time title winner Patna Pirates in the second match of Vivo Pro Kabaddi League season 7.
A contest between two of the best sides in the league, both teams would eye a win on Saturday to start their campaign on a positive note and gain confidence. While Bengaluru Bulls won the Pro Kabaddi Season 6, Patna Pirates endured a forgettable Season 6 campaign, having not been able to qualify in the playoffs for the first time in the history of the tournament.
Head To Head:
Patna Pirates: 10
Bengaluru Bulls: 3
Ties: 2
Patna Pirates:
Having finished fourth in the Zone B in Pro Kabaddi Season 6, Patna Pirates would be desperate to make a comeback in the upcoming season. Pirates have made some valuable additions in the form of Korean superstar Jang Kun Lee and Iranian raider Mohammad Maghsoudlou.
Undoubtedly, Pardeep Narwal along with Korean raider Jang Kun Lee would be the foremost choices for Patna in the raiding department.
Patna Pirates mainstay Pardeep Narwal has played 85 matches in the Vivo Pro Kabaddi league. He has accumulated 1465 raids in his career, including 38 super raids, while Jang Kun Lee isn’t too far behind, having claimed 910 raids in 90 matches.
Patna Pirates have also bought the services of Surender Nada for as many as 77 lakhs, and he will unarguably be the biggest bet for Patna this season, marshaling the defense.
Bengaluru Bulls:
Bengaluru Bulls shocked the World last year, registering their first-ever Pro Kabaddi title in Season 6. 18-year-old Indian raider Pawan Kumar Sehrawat took the world by storm with his innate raiding skills on the mat. He accumulated 375 raids, including 12 super raids and 13 super 10s. He will be accompanied by Bulls captain Rohit Kumar. A prominent member of Bengaluru Bulls, Rohit Kumar will once again lead the side in a bid to reclaim the title in the upcoming season. Both Pawan and Rohit will be the biggest bets for Bengaluru Bulls in the raiding department.
The onus for accumulating the most number of tackle points will fall on defender Mahendra Singh. The Bengaluru Bulls defender has played 46 matches so far, accumulating 120 tackle points, including 9 super tackles and 9 high 5s.
Patna Pirates vs Bengaluru Bulls Match Prediction:
Bengaluru Bulls looks the more solid side and well-knit, coming on the back of a title win. Patna would have an outside chance but would need their 3 best players- Pardeep Narwal, Surender Nada and Jang Kun Lee to come good. Nada is coming on the back of an injury and might take time to settle in.
We would stick out our neck and say Bengaluru Bulls!
