Pro Kabaddi 2016, Season 4: Bengal Warriors vs Puneri Paltan Preview - Match Prediction, Time, Venue, Playing Squads & Live Match Telecast info

Manjeet Chillar will be the X-factor in today’s match

Puneri Paltan take on the Bengal Warriors in Match 26 of Pro Kabaddi League Season 4. The Paltan started the tournament on a strong note winning 2 of their first 3 matches and played out a nail-biting draw against Dabang Delhi in their 4th match of the tournament. They are currently 4th in the table, with 20 points from the first 6 matches. On the other hand, the Bengal Warriors haven’t yet turned up in this season’s Pro Kabaddi, and they have to win most of their remaining matches if they are to qualify for the semis. The Warriors have registered a solitary win in their first 6 matches and are languishing at the bottom of the table, with only 7 points. With the Paltans aiming to strengthen their position at the point, and the Warriors desperate for a win, the match promises to be an intriguing one.

The Paltan have put up impressive displays so far in this season’s Pro Kabaddi League and were unlucky to lose in their last match against the Bengaluru Bulls by a mere 2 points. The Warriors have suffered 4 consecutive defeats, and they need to pull up their socks against a strong Paltan side.

Bengal Warriors performance so far

Bengal Warriors have been very disappointing in this season’s Pro Kabaddi League and have looked a mere shadow of the team that started Season 3 of Pro Kabaddi with 5 wins in their opening 6 matches. The Warriors find themselves in free fall, and Season 4 could well be over for them if they don’t put their act together.

The Warriors faced the Bengaluru Bulls in their opening match of the season, which turned out to be a thriller, with the Warriors losing by a point. They won their second match against Dabang Delhi, 31-23, but have failed to win a single match since then. The Bengal franchise showed a lot of intent in their 3rd match against the Pink Panthers but lost out by just 3 points.

The Warriors were beaten quite convincingly in their fourth match against U Mumba (26-18). They went down 18-35 against Telugu Titans in their next match, in what was one of the most one-sided games in the history of Pro Kabaddi. The Bengal team were dealt a huge blow once again, this time by defending champions, Patna Pirates, who won by a comfortable margin of 14 points (35-21).

The only positive for the Warriors this season has been their captain, Nilesh Shinde, with 15 successful tackles and Girish Maruti Ernak, with 13 points. However, their impressive displays haven’t been enough to change Bengal’s fortune in this season’s Pro Kabaddi. Monu Goyat and Nitin Madane are the only bright spots in a very lackluster offensive campaign for the Warriors, with 21 and 14 successful raid points respectively.

Puneri Paltan performance so far

Puneri Paltan lost their first match of the season against defending champions, Patna Pirates, and have only won a match since then. The Paltan were expected to come back strong in their 4th match against an underperforming Delhi team, but they just managed to come out with a draw.

However, they were clinical in their next match against former champions, Jaipur Pink Panthers, winning by a margin of 5 points. Paltan best performance in this season of Pro Kabaddi was in the Maharashtra derby, where they thrashed U-Mumba 41-19, which was also their first-ever win against the Mumbai franchise.

Deepak Niwas Hooda has been in terrific form for the Paltan this season, contributing to both their defensive stability and attacking prowess. Ajay Thakur and Sonu Narwal have been the star raiders for the Paltan, while the lion-hearted captain, Manjeet Chhillar, will be their key player in defense.

Match Prediction

The Bengal Warriors have their work cut out against a very strong Puneri Paltan side. The Warriors need to sharpen in both departments of the game if they are to register their second win of the season. Nilesh Shinde’s role in the defense is absolutely vital for the Warriors and he will look to come out on top against the likes of Ajay Thakur and Sonu Narwal. The defensive duo of Shinde and Ernak will have to be at the top of their game against a strong Paltan’s offence.

The Paltan will be confident going into this match, and will look to consolidate their position in the top 4. Manjeet Chhillar will be the X-factor for them, providing stability in both defense and attack. Ravinder Pahal has been impressive for the Paltan lately, and will play a key role in their defense, along with the experienced, Joginder Narwal. The duo of Ajay Thakur and Sonu Narwal will look to rampage Bengal’s defence.

Considering the form of both the teams, it will take a huge effort from the Bengal Warriors to win against Puneri Paltan. The Warriors will be low on morale and self-belief after such a disappointing campaign, but will hope that the experienced players step up. The Paltan will be expected to win today’s match, and make it 4 wins out of 7.

Squads

Bengal Warriors

Defenders: Nilesh Shinde, Girish Ernak, Amit Singh Chhillar, Vishal Mane, Chaminda R.S.M, C.Arun, Ravi Kumar, Sushil Vijay Bhosle

All-rounders: Suyog Rajapkar, Yogesh Subhash Sawant

Raiders: Simon Kibura, Jang-Kun Lee, Nitin Mandane, Surjeet Narwal, Ravi Dalal, Shrikant Jadhav, Mahendra Ganesh Rajput, Ravindra Ramesh Kumavat.

Puneri Paltan

Raiders: Ajay Thakur, Sonu Narwal, Akshay Jadhav, Jay Bahadur Bohara, Khomsan Thongkham.

Defenders: Ravinder Pahal, Joginder Narwal, Somvir Shekhar, Gurpreet Singh, I Ketut Ariana, Ravinder Kumar, Virender Chhillar.

All-Rounders: Manjeet Chhillar (Captain), Deepak Niwas Hooda, Nitin Tomar, Parmod Narwal, Dalbir, Preetam Chhillar.

Puneri Paltan vs Bengal Warriors Live Match Information

Date: 09/07/2016

Time: 20:00 IST

Venue: Patliputra Sports Complex, Patna

TV Channel: Star Sports 2 (English), Star Sports 3 (Hindi)

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Edited by Staff Editor