Season 9 of India’s top-tier Kabaddi tournament the Pro Kabaddi League is back after a day’s gap for match day 18 action. Triple “Panga” will be on display tonight and we can expect to see some really competitive matches as teams are gearing up to register a spot in the play-offs.
In this article, Sportzcraazy will discuss about the matches being played today, the teams and their performances as well as the favorites.
Match 1 – Jaipur Pink Panthers Vs Tamil Thalaiavas
Match number 1 of the evening and 42 of the tournament will see second placed Jaipur Pink Panthers lock horns with bottom sided strugglers Tamil Thalaivas. Both the teams had quite a similar start to the season as the Panthers and Thalaivas lost their opening matches and struggled to find rhythm as well as balance in their starting seven. The Pink Panthers, however, bounced back in their second fixture against Patna Pirates as Jaipur picked up a win by a margin of 5 points. After losing their opening game, Jaipur won their next 5 matches on the trot and they are just 1 point away from first placed Dabang Delhi K.C. The season 1 champions have played 7 matches until now, where they registered 5 wins and lost on 2 occasions.
Tamil Thalaivas on the other hand are having a terrible season as they have registered only one win in their last 7 fixtures in the PKL this season. Thalaivas are heavily missing their marquee raider and most expensive PKL player Pawan Kumar Sehrawat who sustained an injury in the Tamil’s very first match of the season. He had to be stretched off from the mat and there is still no update regarding his comeback. Tamil Thalaiavas’ only win this season came against Patna Pirates by a gap of only 1 point and other than that they have lost 4 matches and drew 1. Their head coach will have to find a solution for this problem of over relying on Pawan Sehrawat as other raiders have failed to put up match winning performances. Jaipur Pink Panthers are highly favorites to win this match given their excellent form and Tamil Thalaivas’ disappointing performances.
Match 2 – Haryana Steelers Vs. Puneri Paltan
Match number 43 of PKL season 9 will take place between Haryana Steelers and Puneri Paltan. The Steelers started the season on a high note after winning both of their opening 2 matches but they have won only 1 match after that and lost 4 matches consecutively. Haryana are currently at the 8th spot with 18 points and they are out of the play-off spot as of now. However, they are coming off from an emphatic win in their last match against Telegu Titans by a huge margin of 19 points. The Steelers have some really solid raiders as well as defenders that can change the complexion of any given match. If Haryana wins tonight they will climb up to the 4th spot in the PKL season 9 points table.
Meanwhile, Puneri Paltan are on a run of 4 matches without a loss as they have won 4 out of their last 5 matches. Raider Aslam Inamdar has been a very important player for Paltan as he has collected 68 raid points this season. On the defensive front, Captain Fazel Atrachali has been a figure behind the teams success this season. Atrachali’s performances are vital for the team and Puneri Paltan will be hoping to extend their winning run to 5 matches. Paltan are currently in the 4th position and if they manage to win tonight they will be on top of the PKL points table. Kabaddi is a sport where predictions are hard to affirm and as we have seen previously, games can change any time. In this match Puneri Paltan have a slight edge given their form but Steelers are also coming off from a clinical victory and it will be a close encounter between the two.
Match 3 – UP Yoddhas Vs. Patna Pirates
The third and final match of the triple header will see Pardeep Narwal’s UP Yoddhas face Patna Pirates. Pro Kabaddi League’s most successful raider Narwal will be meeting his former side for the first time this season and will look forward to win this exciting fixture. Narwal spent 5 seasons with the Pirates where he won 3 consecutive Pro Kabaddi League titles but that wont faze him as he has the responsibility of delivering the same for his new team. In terms of form, UP Yoddhas have won 2 and lost 3 of their last 5 fixtures as they currently acquire the 9th spot in the points table with 18 points to their name. All eyes will be on Yoddhas most successful raider this season Surinder Gill who has collected a total of 65 raid points until now. Captain Pardeep Narwal is UP’s second most successful raider this season with 56 raid points under his belt. Defensively Ashu Singh will have a huge task hand as he will look trap more Patna raiders tonight.
4-time champions Patna Pirates are among the bottom three sides with only win in their last 7 matches. Their performance have been affected heavily due to Pardeep Narwal’s absence this season as the lack of influential players have played a huge role behind their poor performance. Raider Rohit Gulia has been performing very well but he has not received the support of other raiders. In terms of defense, Sunil has collected 19 tackle points but he is also facing the same problem as Rohit Gulia of not receiving support from other players. If UP wins tonight they can go as high as the 5th spot in the points table and Patna can take the 8th position. Patna Pirates can go the extra mile tonight as they will be desperate for a win tonight in order to make their otherwise miserable season a little better.
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