An unbeaten Patna Pirates side who have continued with their stupendous form from the third season will take on a rather dismal Bengal Warriors line-up in their second match on their home turf, at the Patliputra Sports Complex in Patna. The Pirates have been the most dominating side this season, thanks to Pardeep Narwal – who has been in phenomenal form so far in the Pro Kabaddi League, Season 4 2016.
The Bengal Warriors have a lot to worry about as they have lost their last three matches and are languishing at the bottom of the table. Monu Goyat has been one of the very few successful players for the Warriors – with 21 successful raid points under his belt he lies 12th in the list of top raiders. Dharmaraj Cheralathan, an experienced customer of the game, has maintained the solidity of the Pirate’s defence and the clash between the two will be quite interesting.
Patna Pirates performance so far
Four matches into the season, the Pirates have been very successful in their endeavours as they remain the only unbeaten side in the tournament. They beat Puneri Paltan 30-24 in their first match this season. The second match saw them beating U Mumba 36-34 in a nail-biter. The third match saw them making a great comeback and beating Telugu Titans 35-33. They had a comfortable victory over Bengaluru Bulls in their last outing, which they won 31-25 on their home ground.
Captain Dharmaraj has led from the front has been ably supported by Bajirao Hodage and Fazel Athrachali in the defence. Pardeep Narwal is in the form of his life as he has used his raiding expertise to run through the opposition’s defences and scored points at will for his team. Rajesh Mondal has delightfully played the role of his wingman after shifting to the Pirates side from Bengaluru Bulls and has often had successful do-or-die raids.
Kuldeep Singh has justified his role as the team’s top all-rounder as he has contributed to both departments of the game and has played second fiddle to his captain. The team has coordinated superbly and taken care of every minute detail to garner 20 points in 4 matches as they comfortably sit third in the table, having played 2 matches fewer than most of the other teams.
Bengal Warriors performance so far
Bengal Warriors’ campaign this season has been disappointing so far as they have failed to live up to their standards so far in the season. They have lost 4 of their 5 matches and lie at the bottom of the table in 8th position with just 7 points. They lost their first match against Bengaluru Bulls by just one point in what was a thriling game. They were successful in their second match against Dabang Delhi which they won 31-23.
Their third game saw them losing 36-33 to the Jaipur Pink Panthers, despite showing a lot of heart on the court. They were beaten quite convincingly in their fourth match against U Mumba (26-18). The Warriors were completely outclassed by the Telugu Titans in their last match in both departments as they lost the match 35-18, in one of the most one-sided affairs this season.
The only saving grace for the side this season have been Captain Nilesh Shinde and Girish Maruti Ernak in the defence. Nilesh Shinde has had a decent season, with 15 successful tackles in 6 matches and Girish has 13 successful tackles to his name, but their skilful display on the court has not helped change the fortune of their side. Monu Goyat and Nitin Madane are the only bright spots in their otherwise gloomy offence, with 21 and 14 successful raid points respectively. The experienced Ravi Dalal has tasted success in bits and pieces and has 10 raid points. The coordination of the team has been in disarray and the morale of the team is quite down.
Match Prediction
Patna Pirates seem unbeatable at the moment, and the encounter would be a stroll in the park for them. The Bengal Warriors will have to buckle up their shoes and improve their performance in both departments of the game if they wish to win their second match this season. Pardeep Narwal will be the player to watch out for, and Nilesh Shinde taking him on when he comes to raid would be something to look forward to. Pardeep would want to continue his tremendous form this season and give one more victory to his team. Rajesh Mondal would have to carry on his form and score as many points as he can for Patna. Nilesh Shinde and Girish Maruti Ernak would have to be at their best if they hope to stop these two talented raiders from scoring points. Nevertheless, the Pirates would love to extend their winning streak, but the Warriors can cause them some pain by causing an upset.
Squads
Patna Pirates:
Raiders: Pardeep Narwal, Rajesh Mondal, Mahesh Goud, Surjeet Singh, Vinoth Paulyas, Sunny, Abolfazel Maghsodlo.
Defenders: Dharmaraj Cheralathan (Captain), Bajirao Hodage, Fazel Athrachali, Deepak Dhull, Sunil Kumar, Anil Kumar, Vijin Thangadurai.
All-Rounders: Hadi Oshtorak, Kuldeep Singh, Sanjay Kumar.
Bengal Warriors:
Raiders: Jang Kun Lee, Mahendra Ganesh Rajput, Monu Goyat, Nitin Madane, Ravi Dalal, Shrikant Jadav, Simon Kibura, Surjeet Narwal
Defenders: Nilesh Shinde, Girish Maruti Ernak, Ravi Kumar, Vishal Mane, Sushil Vijay Bhosle, Amit Singh Chhillar, C.Arun, Chaminda R.S.M.
All Rounders: Ravindra Ramesh Kumawat, Suyog Rajapkar, Yogesh Subhash Sawant
Patna Pirates vs Bengaluru Bulls Live Match Information
Date: 08/07/2016
Time: 21:00 IST
Venue: Pataliputra Sports Complex, Patna.
TV Channels: Star Sports 2/Star Sports 2 HD (English), Star Sports 3/Star Sports 3 HD (Hindi)
Live stream: http://www.starsports.com
