PKL 9 Matchday 5: Preview and Prediction
After two one-sided affairs on Day 4 of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 9, it’s time to witness a couple of super clashes on Day 5 where Haryana Steelers will take on Tamil Thalaivas and Patna Pirates will face off against Telugu Titans. Bengaluru’s Shree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium will host both games, which happens to be the fixed venue of the first leg of the esteemed league.
Both Haryana Steelers and Tamil Thalaivas will play their second games of the season. While Haryana comfortably won their first encounter against Bengal Warriors, Tamil Thalaivas played a stunning draw against Gujarat Giants.
The injury of Pawan Sehrawat became the talking point of that game, as the legendary Kabaddi player injured his leg while raiding. The costliest buy in the league so far, Sehrawat is expected to be back after a couple of games in order to regain his full fitness.
Let’s take a look at the preview and predictions for the Day 5 games:
Match 12: Haryana Steelers vs Tamil Thalaivas
A completely different Tamil Thalaivas this time is set to take on Maninder Singh’s Haryana Steelers on Day 5 of PKL 9. The Steelers stole a victory against the Warriors a few days back and would be looking for another win against Pawan-less Thalaivas. With just one success in the last season, Thalaivas were looking strong after the addition of Pawan Sehrawat to the squad, but his injury has now kept them under pressure again.
Though the Tamil Thalaivas performed admirably in their first meeting with the Giants, victory over Haryana will not be easy. Manjeet and Nitin Rawal roared against Bengal Warriors with their magnificent raiding, whereas Narender from the Thalaivas was the only advantage for them in the game against Gujarat Giants.
If we talk about their head-to-head battles, both Steelers and the Thalaivas have won two games each, while three matches ended in a dramatic tie. This proves that both of them have been tough whenever playing against each other. The encounter on Tuesday will surely give a lead to any of the franchises.
With a fantastic Super 10 in the first game, Manjeet will be the one to watch out for, whereas Ajinkya Pawar can prove to be a nightmare for the Steelers if at his best. So, the franchise from Tamil Nadu would be hoping for Ajinkya’s show on Tuesday. Undoubtedly, Haryana Steelers have the edge over Tamil Thalaivas in this match.
Predicted Starting Seven
Haryana Steelers: Meetu, Mohit, Jaideep Dahiya, Manjeet, Nitin Rawal, Monu, Joginder Narwal ©
Tamil Thalaivas: Ajinya Pawar, M. Abhishek, Mohit, Narender, Sagar ©, Sahil Gulia, Himanshu
Match 13: Patna Pirates vs Telugu Titans
Three-time champions Patna Pirates are yet to win their first game of the season. They drew against Puneri Paltan in their first match and lost to Jaipur Pink Panthers in their second game. So far, it has not been a champion show, but as we say, great teams always make spectacular comebacks. One would hope Patna gets back on the winning track.
The Telugu Titans were one of the teams that were at the bottom last season. This season has also been an ordinary one for them so far, as the franchise from South India lost both of their battles. They would like to turn the tables with a victory in this clash.
You won’t believe that out of 19 matches played to date, both of them have won 9 games each, while one ended in a draw. This shows that Telugu Titans might not be the strongest on the list, but they have always enjoyed playing against the Pirates. The super clash on Tuesday will surely be an exciting one.
Despite Sachin scoring a Super 10 against the Panthers, the team lost the game by 5 points. The leading raider would not want this scenario to happen again, while skipper Neeraj Kumar would be looking to come back in form. He scored just one tackle point in the previous game, which he would want to forget.
On the other hand, Vinay and Rajnish showed some promise for the Telugu Titans in the previous game, but their effort could not get them a victory over the Men in Pink. They will once again be the players to look forward to in this battle. Patna Pirates are strong on paper as well as in performance as well, making them a clear favorite to win the game.
Predicted Starting Seven
Patna Pirates: Sachin, Neeraj Kumar, Sajin C ©, Rohit Gulia, Vishwas S, Sunil, Thiyagarajan Yuvaraj
Telugu Titans: Ravinder Pahal ©, Monu Goyat, Vinay, Rajneesh, Vishal Bharadwaj, Surjeet Singh, Parvesh Bhainswal