Pro Kabaddi League Season 6, Match 1: Tamil Thalaivas vs Patna Pirates | Preview and Predicted Lineups

Sports fans in the country would be spoilt for choice as the sixth season of the highly successful Pro Kabaddi League starts from today.

In the opening match of the season the team that scored the most points last season, Patna Pirates (a total of 1050) take on the team with the fewest points scored, Tamil Thalaivas (681 points) in a Zone B clash.

The match is touted as the clash between two of India's topmost raiders - Ajay Thakur and Pardeep Narwal, both of whom would be itching to give their best and leave the Asian Games disappointments behind.

Ajay Thakur was a lone bright spot for the Tamil Thalaivas in the last season, but this season already looks better with the arrival of a new coach, E Bhaskaran from U Mumba, and the smart (or not only time will tell) pickings in the auction of the experienced Jasvir Singh, Manjeet Singh, and Sukesh Hegde. The partnership between Ajay and Manjeet would be key to the Thalaivas' fortunes this season.

On the other hand, the Patna Pirates, with the talismanic raider Pardeep Narwal at the helm, have bolstered their squad with key signings of raiders - Surender Singh Bhola (formerly in UP Yoddha), Tushar Patil (formerly a Jaipur Pink Panther) and all-rounder Kuldeep Singh (a former U-Mumba player). With these signings and the retained left corner star, Jaideep, the Pirates look all ready to get the trophy back.

Probable playing 7:

Tamil Thalaivas: Ajay Thakur, Manjeet Singh, Jasvir Singh, Sukesh Hegde/Surjeet Singh, Darshan, Amit Hooda, and Sunil

Patna Pirates: Pardeep Narwal, Deepak Narwal, Surender Singh Bhola/Tushar Patil, Kuldeep Singh, Jaideep, Ravinder Kumar, and Manish

When and where to watch: 20:00 IST on the Star Sports network and on the digital streaming platform, Hotstar