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In the first match of the inter-zonal challenge in Season 5 of Pro Kabaddi League, the team from East, Bengal Warriors, will face the team from the West, Puneri Paltan. The two teams have the same number of points from the same number of matches with equal wins and losses.
LIVE COMMENTARY: Bengal Warriors vs Puneri Paltan, August 15 2017
What's more, both the teams suffered their first defeat only in their third game. However, the fact that the Paltan are in the second position in the table while the Warriors are on lowly second last shows how tough Zone B is where Bengal Warriors find themselves.
Bengal Warriors, despite having played just 3 games, have given a good account of themselves. The team had a difficult last season and the management was hell-bent on breaking the hoodoo with reinforcements this season. And if the three matches are anything to go by, they didn't do too shabby a job.
The Indian-Korean Jodi of Maninder Singh and Jang Kun Lee have made the team a force to reckon with this season. There is a threat factor that suddenly is added to Bengal Warriors’ analysis due to the presence of two raiders capable of single handedly winning matches. Even Vinod Kumar has come to the party and can fill in if either the Korean or the Indian suffers from an off day.
Even in the defence, Ran Singh and Surjeet Singh have performed well and if not the best defence of the League, the Warriors can pride themselves for having a formidable defence. In fact, one must not forget that it is the same defence that kept UP Yoddha to a mere 20 points in their Zone B encounter.
Puneri Paltan’s bubble was burst by Jaipur Pink Panthers who handed them their first defeat of Season 5. Before that match,however, the team looked one of the best units of the league by registering wins over U Mumba and Dabang Delhi.
The team shouldn’t lose much heart after the loss to Jaipur though as they were trumped by Manjeet Chhillar’s individual brilliance and lost by just two points, partly due to Sandeep Narwal’s last minute hara kiri. Under the calm and collected Deepak Niwas Hooda, the team looks to be in safe hands and won’t read too much into a single defeat.
Bengal Warriors vs Puneri Paltan match prediction
On paper, there is little to separate between the two teams, especially with their similar campaigns till now. However, the Paltan side boasts of more proven performers who can more consistently deliver the goods than the Bengal Warriors.
Names like Dharamraj Chelarathan, Rajesh Mondal, Sandeep Narwal inspire confidence and that would give them the edge over Bengal Warriors in their all important inter zonal match on Tuesday.
