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The Tamil Thalaivas will be exuding in confidence after decimating the defending champions Patna Pirates in the opening fixture of the Pro Kabaddi League and against the UP Yoddha, Ajay Thakur's men will hope to retain their momentum and give their home fans a lot to cheer about when the two teams clash for match No.4 at the Jawaharlal Indoor Stadium in Chennai.
Against the Pirates, the Thalaivas dealt blow after blow spearheaded by Ajay Thakur, who finished as the best raider of the match with 14 points to his credit. On the defence front, right corner defender Amit Hooda had a field day as he created nightmares for the Patna raiders with four points from seven tackles.
Surinder Singh essayed the role of a secondary raider while Jasvir Singh quietly went on the offence. Manjeet Chhillar's experience came to the fore as he combined with Darshan J and C Arun to stop the Patna raiders in their tracks. Against the UP Yoddha, the veteran all-rounder will be pitted against Rishank Devadiga and Prashant Kumar Rai.
Leading a slightly inexperienced lineup, Rishank's proficiency on the day will be imperative to UP's start in their campaign while the likes of Jeeva Kumar and Nitesh Kumar will hope to thwart the threat posed by Nitin Tomar and the rest of the Pune raiders.
UP Yoddha predicted team
Team: Rishank Devadiga (Captain), Prashant Kumar Rai, Shrikant Jadhav, Jeeva Kumar, Nitesh Kumar, Sagar B Krishna, Sachin Kumar.
Defenders: Jeeva Kumar, Nitesh Kumar, Sachin Kumar.
A wall in the defence unit, Jeeva Kumar's wealth of experience and Nitesh Kumar's proficiency from the last season can see both of them find a place in the starting seven while Sachin Kumar, who has performed well in the local circuit and featured for Bengaluru Bulls last season can be expected to start.
All-rounders: Sagar B Krishna
An all-rounder better known for his defensive capabilities from the cover positions, Sagar Krishna's adaptability makes him an important asset in the UP Yoddha setup. Capable of floating around in various positions, Sagar Krishna's firm holds and dashes can be of vital importance.
Raiders: Rishank Devadiga, Prashant Kumar Rai, Shrikant Jadhav
UP Yoddha's two costliest buys from the auctions, Rishank Devadiga and Prashant Rai's alliance on the raiding front can easily be the difference between a win or a loss against Pune. Along with them, Shrikant Jadhav's agile raiding, which was on show last season will also be expected to come to the fore.
Tamil Thalaivas predicted team
Team: Ajay Thakur (Captain), Surinder Singh, Jasvir Singh, Manjeet Chhillar, J Darshan, C Arun, Amit Hooda.
The Thalaivas had a memorable outing against the Patna Pirates with Ajay Thakur leading the way with 14 raid points from 17 attempted raids. Surinder Singh, who started ahead of Sukesh Hegde claimed the honours as well, outscoring Jasvir Singh.
Manjeet Chhillar started slow but caught up as he caused problems for Pardeep Narwal after the latter coaxed tackles from the veteran all-rounder initially. Darshan J, pipped for big things this season combined with Amit Hooda and C Arun fabulously well to keep the lead of the Thalaivas.
Amit Hooda, in particular, had a top game as he finished with four points, highlighting his efficiency as one of the best corner defenders in the league.
With the team well set, the Tamil Thalaivas can be expected to be unchanged.
