The Patna Pirates will take on the Puneri Paltan, in Match 48, of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 4. The match will take place at the DOME@NSCI SVP Stadium, and the Paltan will need all the support going into this important match. Pune is currently 5th in the table with 31 points and have one game in hand over derby rivals, U Mumba. With only 3 games left for the Paltan, they would desperately need a win to put the pressure on Mumbai.
Patna Pirates are in a far more comfortable position, at 2nd. They are 11 points clear of the 5th placed team, and with 3 games to go, Patna needs only 5 points to guarantee qualification.
Patna Pirates Performance so far
The Patna Pirates failed to register another win in their impressive Season 4 campaign, as they lost against table toppers, the Jaipur Pink Panthers. Jasvir Singh and Co. pressurized the Pirates defence from the blow of the whistle, as they took out Fazel Atrachali and Bajirao Hodage, early into the game.
Pardeep Narwal and Rajesh Narwal canceled out each other’s impressive performance, as they troubled the opposition defence. Ajay Kumar’s continued his habit of coming to life late in the game, as his raids were vital in Jaipur’s comeback.
19-year old, Pardeep Narwal, has been a revelation this season, with 84 raid points and has attracted everyone’s imagination with clever raids and points at vital times. He has been an instrumental part of Patna’s campaign so far, and will have a huge role to play in Patna’s quest for the Season 4 title.
Rajesh Mondal hasn’t lived up to expectations, but will look to change that after today’s match. It is important for Rajesh to get back in form before the knockout stage gets underway.
The defensive trio of Dharmaraj Cheralathan, Fazel Atrachali, and Bajirao Hodage will have a very crucial role to play in today’s encounter.
Puneri Paltan performance so far
Puneri Paltan lost their last match against U Mumba, as the Mumbai team avenged their defeat to the Paltan earlier this tournament. U Mumba won 34-31 in a thrilling encounter. Pune dearly missed their lion-hearted skipper, Manjeet Chhillar, as he sat out with a shoulder injury. Anup Kumar and Rishank Devadiga caused a lot or problems, but the Paltan dealt with them fairly well. Mumbai led 15-13 at the end of the first half.
Sonu Narwal started off strongly for the Paltan and overturned the score in Pune’s favour early on in the second half. Ajay Thakur, too, rose to the occasion as he troubled the Mumbaikars. Anup Kumar emerged as the hero as he took vital points late into the game, which inflicted a decisive all out on the Paltan. The side from Pune fought hard, but the Mumbai defence stood strong to seal an all-important win.
Manjeet Chhillar will have a big role to play if he can return on time for today’s all important clash. The group stage is about to close and Pune is on the brink of the top 4. The Paltan will need their captain to lead from the front at such a time, and put an inspirational performance to give them a win and confidence, going into their final 2 matches.
Deepak Niwas Hooda and Ajay Thakur’s performance today will be absolutely critical to Pune’s chances against the best team of Season 4. Hooda has 67 raid points in Season 4, while Ajay Thakur has 50.
Pune’s skipper will need support in the form of Ravinder Pahal against a very strong Patna attack. Pahal will have to stand strong against Pardeep Narwal and Co.
Match Prediction
We have an exciting match in our hands today as teams from the higher half of the table take on each other. Puneri Paltan would be desperate to win today after letting the golden opportunity of a top 4 place slip through. They will have to go all out against tough opponents, Patna Pirates, who have registered 8 victories in 11 matches this season.
It will be exciting to see the Paltan defence of Chhillar and Pahal take on Pardeep Narwal and Co. Patna has been very impressive this season, and will hold the edge over Puneri Paltan.
Squads
Patna Pirates
Defenders: Dharmraj Cheralathan, Bajirao Hodage, Deepak Dhull, Vijin Thangadurai, Fazel Atrachali, Abolfazel Maghsodlo, Sunny, Sunil Kumar
All-rounders: Sanjay Kumar, Hadi Oshtorak, Kuldeep Singh
Raider: Mahesh Goud, Pardeep Narwal, Rajesh Mondal, Vinoth Paulyas
Puneri Paltan
Defenders: Ketut Ariana, Gurpreet Singh, Somvir Shekhar, Ravinder Pahal, Joginder Narwal, Khomsan Thongkham, Virender Chhillar;
All-rounder: Parmod Narwal, Preetam Chhillar, Manjeet Chhillar, Dalbir, Deepak Niwas Hooda;
Raider: Ajay Thakur, Sonu Narwal, Jay Bahadur Bohara, Anil Shriram Nimbolkar, Akshay Jadhav.
Patna Pirates vs Puneri Paltan Live Match Information
Date: 23/07/2016
Time: 20:00 IST
Venue: DOME@NSCI SVP Stadium, Mumbai.
TV Channels: Star Sports 2/Star Sports 2 HD (English), Star Sports 3/Star Sports 3 HD (Hindi)
Live stream: StarSports.com
