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Season 5 of the Pro Kabaddi League is now heading into its last month with teams focused on qualifying for the Super Playoffs. The tournament now moves to Chennai for the first time ever as debutants Tamil Thalaivas try to string some wins together.
With qualification for the Super Playoffs still a possibility, the bottom-ranked Thalaivas need to approach their home leg with extra concentration to get as many victories as possible.
Teams that are doing well, like Gujarat Fortunegiants, Haryana Steelers and Bengal Warriors, all made good use of their home legs and the team from Tamil Nadu would look to emulate them.
With some big encounters across the league scheduled for the next six days, here are five of the most entertaining player battles from the Chennai leg of season five of Pro Kabaddi League:
#1 Fazel Atrachali (Gujarat Fortunegiants) vs Pardeep Narwal (Patna Pirates)
The two teams in question have had good seasons up to this point, with the Pirates top of Zone B with 65 points, while Gujarat sit in second place in Zone A with 57 points, having played two matches less.
Fazel Atrachali has been immense in defence for the Fortunegiants, having scored 43 points in 17 matches. His strong, athletic style of defending has given raiders across the league a tough time.
His partnership with Iranian teammate Abozar Mighani has been excellent and has provided the ideal foundation for Gujarat to excel.
He will go up against the league's best raider, Patna Pirates' Pardeep Narwal, who has already scored 238 points in 18 matches, 85 more than the second-highest scorer.
Narwal's risky raiding style, combined with his steely determination, has worked very well for the Pirates as they look to win the title for the third season in a row.
#2 Nitin Tomar (U.P. Yoddha) vs Girish Maruti Ernak (Puneri Paltan)
Debutants U.P. Yoddha have lost their way slightly in recent encounters as they stand third in Zone B with 48 points from 17 matches.
They will rely on raider Nitin Tomar to get their season back on track as they take on Puneri Paltan. Tomar has registered 140 raid points so far and is third on the list of raiders with maximum points in season five.
His powerful style of raiding is tough to defend against and helps him get points in bunches. He will have to be at his best against Pune's Girish Maruti Ernak to help his team win.
Ernak is one of the strongest defenders in the league and uses his strength and size very well to stop opposition raiders. The left corner has scored 33 points from 11 matches and is key to the Paltan's hopes.
Puneri Paltan are yet to play their home matches and on the basis of their current form, have the most well-balanced team in the league, having won nine of their 12 matches.
#3 Pawan Kumar Kadian (Jaipur Pink Panthers) vs Surjeet Singh (Bengal Warriors)
Season one champions Jaipur Pink Panthers have had a mixed bag season five so far, winning six and losing seven of their 13 matches so far. They are still in with a good shout of making the Super Playoffs, with their home leg yet to come.
Pawan Kumar Kadian has been the Panthers' best raider and came up with a herculean effort in their last match against Telugu Titans, scoring 17 points in a tough loss.
Kadian has impressed everyone with his speed and physical prowess and has scored 74 points in 12 matches so far. He will go up against Surjeet Singh of Bengal, one of the toughest defenders in the league.
Surjeet has had a good season so far, scoring 57 points in 18 matches. His combative, focused style of defending has helped his team a lot and the right cover would want to continue in the same vein.
#4 Amit Hooda (Tamil Thalaivas) vs Rahul Chaudhari (Telugu Titans)
Hosts Tamil Thalaivas will be dependent on captain Ajay Thakur and defender Amit Hooda for points in their home leg to try and win as many matches as they can.
Hooda has had an impressive season, scoring 43 points in 13 matches and has been the star for the team from Tamil Nadu, with his muscular, energetic defence and has been very vocally active in support of his teammates.
Rahul Chaudhari will look to get the better of Amit Hooda in their battle as he looks to help his team overcome their setbacks and try and cement a place in the Super Playoffs.
Chaudhari comes into this match on the back of a match-winning 17-point performance against Jaipur Pink Panthers. He has scored 153 points in season five and is one of the best raiders in the league.
#5 Surender Nada (Haryana Steelers) vs Kashiling Adake (U Mumba)
The team from Haryana have a defence-first approach and possess what is probably the most defensively aware outfit in season five of the league.
Surender Nada has been a big part of that and his performances have been exceedingly good. The left corner has scored 61 points in 16 matches and has helped the Steelers rise to the top of the standings in Zone A.
Nada will have to be at the top of his game to stop Kashiling Adake, who comes into the match against Haryana on the back of his 17-point effort against the Bengaluru Bulls.
Adake has an explosive, power-packed raiding style and his clash with Surender Nada will determine which team comes out as victors from their match.
With 101 points in 17 matches, he is U Mumba's best raider and will look to work in tandem with captain Anup Kumar to help his team strengthen their case for a Super Playoff spot.
