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Following the conclusion of the Mumbai leg, season five of the Pro Kabaddi League now moves to Kolkata. Hosts Bengal Warriors will look to get their season back on track riding on the back of their home advantage, as they play six matches in the next week.
The previous leg saw U Mumba win only two of their five matches, while one other match was abandoned. Bengal desperately need to win as many matches as they can to get back in the reckoning and climb up the table.
The Kolkata leg will begin with teams facing off against others from their respective zones before the second half of the leg ends with the third Inter-zonal week.
Here are five player battles from the upcoming leg that will be the most entertaining to watch:
#1 Jang Kun Lee (Bengal Warriors) vs Vishal Mane (Patna Pirates)
The home side will play the opening encounter of the Kolkata leg against the Patna Pirates and will be looking to their explosive foreign import, Jang Kun Lee, to provide the bulk of the scoring.
The Korean raider has been a crucial part of the Warriors' squad since the beginning of PKL and has been impressively consistent in Season 5 as well, scoring 43 points in eight matches.
He, however, will have to watch his step against the Pirates' Vishal Mane, who is an extremely competent defender, who is not afraid to use his physicality against his opponents.
Mane, who plays at right cover, has so far scored 18 points in seven matches and has been an integral component of the Patna defence. He will need to be at his best to ensure Lee does not continue his scoring run.
#2 Sachin (Gujarat Fortunegiants) vs Surender Nada (Haryana Steelers)
The Gujarat Fortunegiants have by far been the most superior outfit so far in season five of the Pro Kabaddi League and Sachin's raiding has been key to that.
He has impressed everyone with his confidence and swagger on the mat, and his prolific raiding has seen him accrue a total of 57 points in 10 matches so far this season. His ability to combine quickness with smart moves have made him an elite raider.
To help continue his team's great start to the season, Sachin will have to get the better of Surender Nada, the league's top-scoring defender, who has a total of 34 points so far.
Nada's aggressive style of defending and smart positioning have seen him limit opposition raiders to a great extent and the Haryana fans will expect more of the same. The left corner will be focused on imposing his team's defensive style of play on the Gujarat outfit.
#3 Pardeep Narwal (Patna Pirates) vs Somvir Shekhar (Jaipur Pink Panthers)
The most free-scoring raider in season five of the Pro Kabaddi League, Pardeep Narwal has been Patna's most important player for the past few seasons and his irrepressible raiding was key to the Pirates winning two successive titles.
Narwal has scored 83 points from just seven matches, averaging almost 12 points per match thanks to his adventurous, athletic style of play. A cerebral player, he never loses his calm while on the mat and approaches his raids with a lot of clarity of thought.
Pardeep will have to get the better of Somvir Shekhar in the Panthers' defence as the champions of season one of the league look to get their act together and start rising up the table.
With Manjeet Chillar's involvement in doubt, Somvir, who has six points so far from seven matches, will have to step up and fill his shoes. The right cover has shown that he has the skill and the strength necessary to shut down the opposition's scoring.
#4 Ran Singh (Bengal Warriors) vs Anup Kumar (U Mumba)
The Bengal Warriors have made a steady start to the tournament and will look to capitalise on home advantage to catapult themselves to the top of the standings.
As a defensive outfit, the team has relied on all-rounder Ran Singh to get them the stops, with the former Jaipur man rising to the occasion. He has scored 24 points in eight matches and his emotional, physical style of play will be key to him stopping the cerebral Anup.
Kumar, who has been U Mumba's lynchpin since the beginning of Pro Kabaddi League, is an irreplaceable member of their team and is their primary raider.
He has accumulated 65 points from 11 matches and will be looking to make the use of touch points and tactical raids to win points for his team. The man who comes out on top in this battle will tilt the balance in favour of his side.
#5 Vishal Bhardwaj (Telugu Titans) vs Deepak Niwas Hooda (Puneri Paltan)
The Titans have suffered the most number of defeats in season five of the Pro Kabaddi League and on most occasions, it is their defence that has let them down.
Despite counting the defender with the second-highest points in their ranks, the team from Hyderabad have failed to provide all-rounder Vishal Bhardwaj with enough support on the defensive front
With 32 points, Bhardwaj has been very consistent and has used his positioning and swift movement to great effect, doing his best to nullify the opponent's threat.
Deepak Niwas Hooda will have his task cut out as Pune look to get the win and continue their good start to the tournament. Having scored 36 points so far, Hooda will be on the offensive against the Titans as he attempts to get another key win for his team.
