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Defending champions Bengaluru Bulls will begin their title defense when they face off against three-time champions Patna Pirates in the second match on the inaugural day of Pro Kabaddi 2019 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad.
The Bulls, led by versatile raider Rohit Kumar clinched their first-ever title last season courtesy of a stupendous show from star raider Pawan Sehrawat, who finished the season as the MVP with a total of 282 points from just 24 matches.
With Pawan putting up an impressive show in the 'All-Star' match, notching up a Super 10 to his name, the youngster will be backed to come good against the Patna Pirates, who themselves have their hopes pinned on raiding superstar and skipper Pardeep Narwal.
The 22-year-old Pardeep has been a force to reckon with on the raiding front with 858 raid points from five seasons of the league and is the highest raid-point scorer in the history of the tournament.
Undoubtedly, the showdown between Pawan and Pardeep will be the highlight of this star-studded contest, with the likes of Bulls' skipper Rohit Kumar, Patna's foreign import Jang Kun Lee set to feature in this encounter as well.
Predicted starting 7s
Bengaluru Bulls: Rohit Kumar (c), Pawan Sehrawat, Ashish Sangwan, Mahender Singh, Amit Sheoran, Raju Lal Chaudhary, Vinod Kumar.
Patna Pirates: Pardeep Narwal (c), Jang Kun Lee, Vikas Jaglan, Neeraj Kumar, Jaideep, Mohammad Esmaeil, Ravinder.
Match Prediction
The Bengaluru Bulls have done well to retain a major chunk of their winning squad from last season, with the Bulls investing heavily on re-procuring the services of gun cover defender Mahender Singh for a whopping ₹80 lakh, after retaining the trio of Pawan, Rohit, and Ashish.
The Pirates, on the other hand, seem to have already been dealt a massive blow with injury concerns clouding the participation of veteran left corner defender Surender Nada. In his absence, Jaideep will slot into the left corner position.
However, going by Pawan Sehrawat's blazing form, the youngster could be yet again expected to lead the charge for the Bulls and help his side register a win in this contest.
Bengaluru Bulls could be expected to win this match.
Where and when to watch, live streaming details
Date: Saturday, 20th July 2019
Start time: 8.30 PM IST.
Venue: Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad.
Live telecast: Star Sports Network
Live streaming: Hotstar
Live updates: Sportskeeda
