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In the third and final Eliminator of the PKL 2018 playoffs, U.P. Yoddha takes on Dabang Delhi K.C. at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Kochi today, Monday at 9 pm IST.
Before the first two eliminators tonight, if anyone would have been asked to predict the matchup for Eliminator 3, the one with the least probability would have been the Yoddhas vs the Dabang.
In Eliminator 1, from the fifth minute of the match, the game was dictated by the Yoddhas' defence, the same defence which had cost them games on numerous occasions in the league stage.
While their raiders walked a cautious line, the defence of the Yoddhas went all out to strangle U Mumba's raiders and scored an astounding 18 tackle points. This match was a skillfully written resume to the National selectors by Nitesh Kumar who displayed sheer brilliance to contribute 8 tackle points to his team's total. Jeeva Kumar was also brilliant on the night as he turned back the clock to score a High-5.
While it was the defence of the Yoddhas which was key to their win, the Dabangs won Eliminator 2 with their brilliant all-round display.
While Naveen Kumar (11 points) and Chandran Ranjit (8 points) were key in the attack, the corner duo of Ravinder Pahal (4 points) and Joginder Narwal (3 points) were the prime contributors in the defence. The team got together to score 39 points vis-a-vis the Warriors' 28 to win the encounter and make their way to the Eliminator 3.
Tonight's results signify that when you give it your all and forget the reputation or position of your opposition, then nobody can stop you from winning.
Previous Meetings
The two teams, UP Yoddha, and Dabang Delhi, have faced each other only once in the league stage, in Match 37, with the Yoddhas coming out on top with a 38-36 scoreline.
Key Battles to keep an eye on
#1 Naveen Kumar (right raider) vs Sachin Kumar (left corner)
#2 Prashanth Kumar Rai (left raider) vs Ravinder Pahal (right corner)
Probable playing 7
UP Yoddha: Rishank Devadiga (c), Shrikant Jadhav, Prashanth Kumar Rai, Narender, Jeeva Kumar, Sachin Kumar, and Nitesh Kumar
Dabang Delhi: Joginder Narwal (c), Naveen Kumar, Chandran Ranjit, Meraj Sheykh, Vishal Mane, Rajesh Narwal, and Ravinder Pahal
When and where to watch: 21:00 IST on the Star Sports network and on digital streaming platform Hotstar.
