The Puneri Paltan will have a big challenge at their hands the team will lock horns against the defending champion Bengal Warriors in the ‘Match 127’ of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 8. The Warriors are already out from the race to the playoffs but they could spoil the party for the Paltan who are just a win short of making it into the playoffs.
The Warriors had a good start to the season with Maninder Singh leading the charge, the raider was in great form in the early half of the season, but his form has been dwindling in the second half of the season. The raider has picked up 237 raid points to his name and is the second top raider this season, but his performances haven’t been able to help his side make it into the playoffs.
The team is currently at the 10th spot on the place on the points table and has no chance of making it ahead into the tournament. While the early exit for the defending champions came off as a surprise to many, it was evident from the early stages as their defensive unit hasn’t been able to perform to their potential this season. The team has the least amount of successful tackles this season with just 145 successful attempts to their name.
The Paltan on the other hand has been great in the lateral half of the tournament after they bounced back strong after their slow start to the season. The young duo of Mohit Goyat and Aslam Inamdar has been electric for the side as they have been a cornerstone for the team in the raiding department this season.
The defense has been looking good as well as Sombir and Vishal Bhardwaj have finally found back their mojo and have been very essential in the defense for the team. The franchise has been the second most successful franchise in terms of successful tackles this season with 204 successful attempts to their name.
What have they done so far?
The defending champions have gone through a forgettable campaign so far this season, already being knocked out of the tournament the franchise will look to end things on a positive end. The team is down in the bottom half of the points table with just 47 points to their name in 20 appearances.
On the other hand, the Puneri Paltan side has been rejuvenated in the second phase of the tournament and is on a four-match unbeaten streak heading into the contest as of writing. The Pune-based franchise is currently on the sixth spot on the points table with 60 points to their name in 20 appearances. With two games left in their campaign, the franchise will look to finish strong and make it into the playoffs with wins in their upcoming games.
Head to Head record
The Puneri Paltan and Bengal Warriors have clashed against each other for a total of fifteen games since the start of the league. Both the teams have won seven games each over the other while one of the encounters between the two sides ended in a tie. The last time these two franchises locked horns against each other this season the Pune-based franchise emerged victorious by 39-27 over the Warriors.
Key Players
Aslam raids the opponent area against the Tamil Thalaivas in his previous match
Aslam Inamdar: Aslam has been the emerging star for the Puneri Paltan this season. The young raider has proved his mettle in the most competitive Kabaddi league in the world with 164 raid points to his name this season. The player has found himself in the list of top ten raiders in his debut season for the Puneri Paltan and once again will be the key man for the Paltan against the Warriors.
Maninder Singh: Maninder is perhaps one of the most underrated raiders in the history of the league, while he is not flashy as Pardeep Narwal or Highflyer Pawan Sehrawat but has made a name for himself in the past few seasons with his exceptional performances. While his team might be out of the race to the playoffs, he still has the opportunity to dethrone Pawan from the top of the mountain amongst the raiders this season.
Predicted Starting 7’s
Puneri Paltan: Aslam Inamdar, Mohit Goyat, Vishal Bhardwaj, Sombir, Abinesh Nadarajan, Nitin Tomar (c), Sanket Sawant
Bengal Warriors: Maninder Singh (c), Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibaksh, Manoj Gowda, Abozar Mohajermighani, Ran Singh, Vishal Mane, Amit
Prediction
This could be a good encounter between both sides as both have exceptional raiders who could turn the tide for their side at any given time. However, based on their current form the Puneri Paltan will have an upper hand over their opponents heading into the match and we expect the Pune-based franchise to emerge victorious at the end of the final whistle.