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In the first match of the PKL 2018 playoffs, Eliminator 1, U Mumba take on the U.P. Yoddha at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Kochi tomorrow, Sunday at 8 pm IST.
U Mumba finished second in Zone A with 86 points from 22 matches which comprised of 15 wins, 5 losses, and 2 tied encounters.
Siddharth Desai has been their top raider, third overall in the league, with 211 raid points at an average of 10.55 raid points per match. While their captain, Fazel Atrachali and Surender Singh have been their top defenders, each with a place in the Top 10, with 79 and 61 tackle points respectively.
The Yoddhas had a thriller of a season, with enough drama that could give Hindi films a run for their money. With nowhere in contention after 3/4th completion of the season, the Yoddhas pulled together a string of wins in the final quarter to see them through to the playoffs and denying the reigning champions, Patna Pirates, a shot at reclaiming their trophy.
They finished third in the Zone B standings with 57 points which were a result of 8 wins, 10 losses, and 4 ties.
While none of its raiders feature in the Top-10 list, Shrikant Jadhav with 125 points and Prashanth Kumar Rai with 122 points are placed 14th and 15th on the list respectively. To compensate for their raiders not making it to the Top-10, Nitesh Kumar has held his fort as the top defender in the league stage with 83 points at an average of 3.77 tackle points per match.
Previous Meetings
The two teams, U Mumba and UP Yoddha, have faced each other twice in the league in this season, in Match 61 and in Match 124, while U Mumba won the former with a 41-24 scoreline, the Yoddhas avenged their defeat in the latter with a 34-32 win.
Key Battles to keep an eye on
#1 Siddharth Desai (two-sided raider) vs Nitesh Kumar (right corner)
#2 Prashant Kumar Rai (left raider) vs Dharmaraj Cheralathan (right corner)
Probable playing 7
U Mumba: Fazel Atrachali (c), Siddharth Desai, Rohit Baliyan, Abhishek Singh, Surender Singh, Rohit Rana, and Dharmaraj Cheralathan
UP Yoddha: Rishank Devadiga (c), Shrikant Jadhav, Prashanth Kumar Rai, Narender, Jeeva Kumar, Sachin Kumar, and Nitesh Kumar
When and where to watch: 20:00 IST on the Star Sports network and on digital streaming platform Hotstar.
Catch the league stage Pro Kabaddi Points Table here at Sportskeeda.
