Patna Pirates vs Tamil Thalaivas: Preview and Prediction

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Mohammed Chiyaneh has been the poster boy of the Pirates defense

It’s a battle between the Patna Pirates and the Tamil Thalaivas in the 36th match of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 8 on Thursday at the Sheraton Grand Convention centre in Bengaluru. Both the teams have won their previous matches and are placed in the top 6 of the points table.

The raiding trio of Sachin Tanwar, Prasanth Kumar Rai, and Monu Goyat has been phenomenal and that has been the key reason for their success. There has been no poster boy, unlike the previous seasons where the franchise was over-reliant on Pardeep Narwal. Even the raiders have been active in the defensive setup for Patna.

Tamil Thalaivas have also been similar to the Patna Pirates. In the previous match, K Prapanjan, Manjeet, Bhavani Rajput, and Ajinkya Pawar all scored more than 4 points while Surjeet Singh and Sagar led the defense.

How have they done so far?

The Patna Pirates are ranked 3rd on the points table with 4 wins in 5 matches so far. They are coming into the match with a hat-trick of victories and have mastered the art of winning close matches. Their score difference of +29 is the second-best in the tournament so far. 

In the previous match against the Titans, they won 31-30 and the Ram Meher Singh-coached side is one of the most well-rounded units in the competition so far.

The Tamil Thalaivas registered a dominant win over the U.P. Yoddhas in their previous match of 39-33. No player scored more than 7 points as all the other players combined to produce a well-rounded team performance.

Head to head record

Tamil Thalaivas and Patna Pirates have clashed 8 times in the history of the PKL and the 3-time champions have won 5 encounters between the two teams. 

Patna Pirates won both the matches in PKL 7. In the first meeting, the Pirates trounced the Thalaivas with a 51-25 win while they edged them out with a 24-23 victory in the second match.

Key Players

Mohammed Chiyaneh: The Iranian defender has been impressive and consistent and is statistically the best Pirates defender with 14 successful tackles. He has enjoyed support from Sunil in the right corner and covers and has been on the mat for 85% of the time.

Ajinkya Pawar: The raider has been a super substitute for the Tamil Thalaivas in this season. He scored 6 raid points after he came onto the mat in the 23rd minute. He has been phenomenal in the do-or-die raids as well.

Predicted Starting 7s

The Tamil Thalaivas raider Ajinkya Pawar starred against Puneri Paltan

The Tamil Thalaivas raider Ajinkya Pawar starred against Puneri Paltan

Patna Pirates: Monu Goyat, Neeraj Kumar, Mohammadreza Chiyaneh, Sajin C, Prasanth Kumar Rai, Sachin Tanwar, Sunil

Tamil Thalaivas: Manjeet, Athul MS, Ajinkya Pawar, K Prapanjan, Surjeet Singh, Sagar, Bhavani Rajput

Prediction

Both the teams are coming off dominant victories but the Patna Pirates are a better unit. The Patna Pirates have a better raiding unit and the Surjeet Singh-led defence have an uphill task. The battle might decide the fate of the contest but Patna will hold an edge over the Thalaivas.

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