The Patna Pirates will be up against the Haryana Steelers in the final game of the tournament in ‘Match 130’ of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 8.
Patna has already ensured their entry directly into the semifinals by finishing at the top of the points table. No matter the result against the Steelers, the team will not be affected but could make things harder for the Haryana-based franchise. The Steelers have just one game left in their campaign and a win over the Pirates is exactly what they need to make their way into the playoffs.
The Pirates have been exceptionally good this season, after losing superstar Pardeep Narwal in the auction, fans felt like the team would have it tough heading into the competition, but the team has proven their critics wrong in all departments and have emerged as probably the best side in the league phases of the tournament.
The team has been lethal in defense with the highest amount of tackle points to their name as a franchise. With strike raider, Monu Goyat absent due to fatigue and injuries the young raiders in Guman and Sachin have made sure to lead the team well.
On the other hand, the Steelers have been on and off this season, skipper Vikash Kandola has been the ace for the team and his franchise is heavily reliant on his performance to win a fixture. The defensive unit has fared a lot better with names such as Jaideep leading the charge as he has found himself amongst the top defenders this season with 60 plus tackle points to his name.
What have they done so far?
The Pirates have been electric this season, sitting on the apex of the points table the team has 81 points to their name in their 21 appearances and are untouchables at the points table. The team has the least amount of defeats this season and it speaks volumes about the team’s performance. However, Patna lost their previous fixture to Dabang Delhi in a nail-biting encounter and will look to turn that around in the final league game of their campaign.
The Steelers have been doing decent as well, after a slow start to their tournament, the team bounced back well and are currently at the 5th spot on the points table with 63 points to their name. A win over the Pirates will ensure that the team makes it into the playoffs. However, Haryana was absolutely thrashed by the Bengaluru Bulls in their previous fixture and is lacking in terms of momentum when compared to the Pirates who had a seven-game unbeaten streak to their name before their defeat at the hands of Delhi.
Head to Head record
The Patna Pirates and the Steelers have faced each other on six occasions over time and the Steelers have a slight upper hand over their opponents with three wins to their name in comparison to the two wins earned by the Pirates. The last encounter between these two sides saw the Pirates beat the Steelers in a close 42-39 clash.
Key Players
Mohammadreza has been the best defender for the Pirates this season
Mohammadreza Chiyaneh: The Iranian defender has been one of the best finds of the entire tournament, he currently is one of the top defenders this season and is just two points behind Sagar at the top. Mohammadreza has been rock solid for the Pirates and the team will hope that the defender can maintain his top form.
Jaideep: This is going to be a battle amongst the best defenders in the season, Jaideep who is currently in third place on the list of top defenders this season would love to close in on Sagar and Mohammadreza and we could see some sparks flying tonight.
Predicted Starting 7’s
Patna Pirates: Prashant Kumar Rai (c), Sachin Tawar, Guman Singh, Sunil Kumar, C Sajin, Neeraj Kumar, Mohammadreza Chiyaneh
Haryana Steelers: Meetu Mahender, Himanshu, Jaideep, Surinder Nada, Ashish Kumar, Vikash Kandola (c), Mohit
Prediction
Both the sides are coming off a loss in their last game but will look to close the league stages with a win to their name. Looking at their recent forms the Pirates definitely have somewhat of an advantage over the Steelers. However, with the Haryana-based franchise desperate for a win the match could take a turn. Based on the current form and results the Pirates should finish this contest with a win to their name.