Fifth-placed Jaipur Pink Panthers will lock horns with sixth-placed Tamil Thalaivas in Match No. 72 of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 8 at the Sheraton Grand Whitefield Hotel and Convention Centre in Bengaluru on Saturday.
With the race for the top six getting intense with every game, this is a crucial fixture for both sides, who find themselves in the upper half of the standings at the moment.
The Jaipur-based team has five wins and as many defeats with a tie from eleven appearances with 32 points. They have three wins in their last five PKL matches.
The Chennai-based franchise, on the other hand, has had a topsy-turvy season so far with one win, two ties, and as many losses in their last five games. From eleven appearances in this PKL, they have won only three games, conceding three defeats and five draws with 31 points.
How have they done so far?
Jaipur Pink Panthers did not start well as they lost 34-27 to Gujarat Lions in their opening match. Arjun Deshwal was the star for them picking up ten points in the game. But the side came back in their very next match against Haryana Steelers to register a closely fought 40-38 win as Arjun once again stole the show with 18 points.
They suffered an agonizingly close defeat at the hands of Telugu Titans in their previous fixture and will look to return to winning ways.
Meanwhile, Tamil Thalaivas had a dramatic start to their campaign as they played out a 40-40 draw against Telugu Titans in their campaign opener. Manjeet was their key performer picking up 12 points.
They suffered a defeat against Bengaluru Bulls next followed by another tie against U Mumba before finally registering their first win of the season against Puneri Paltan, beating them 36-26 with Ajinkya Pawar and Manjeet top-scoring with 11 and 8 points respectively. They have also lost their previous game against Gujarat Giants.
Head to Head record
The Panthers and Thalaivas have faced each other only five times so far. The Chennai-based team has managed to win only once whereas Jaipur has beaten them on three occasions with one game ending in a draw. Thus, Jaipur has had the better of their opponents in the league to date.
Key Players
Arjun Deshwal: Arjun Deshwal has been the best raider for Jaipur Pink Panthers this season with 127 raid points from eleven appearances. He also stands fourth on the list of raiders with the most points this season. The Jaipur-based team will bank on him to deliver once again as they look to come back from their previous defeat.
Surjeet Singh: Tamil Thalaivas skipper Surjeet Singh is the best raider this season with 40 tackle points, two high-fives, and three super tackles. If the Chennai-based team has to stop Arjun Deshwal and the others, they will need their skipper to lead from the front once again.
Predicted Starting 7s
Jaipur Pink Panthers: Arjun Deshwal, Naveen, Sandeep Kumar Dhull, Shaul Kumar, Amit Kharb, Vishal, Deepak Niwas Hooda
Tamil Thalaivas: Athul MS, Bhavani Rajput, Manjeet, PO Surjeet Singh, Sagar, Sahil Singh, Mohit-II
Prediction
Jaipur Pink Panthers are in better form having won three of their last five games. If the raiders can support Arjun and keep the threat of Surjeet away, they can beat the Thalaivas and win this game. With both teams fighting for consistency in the tournament, this is expected to be a closely contested battle.