New Delhi: Day 4 of the Pro Kabaddi League will feature yet another triple header with three-time champions Patna Pirates taking on a revamped UP Yoddha side in the first match. It will be followed by Puneri Paltan’s encounter against Telugu Titans while the final face-off on Christmas day will be between Jaipur Pink Panthers and Haryana Steelers.
Pardeep Narwal factor
All eyes will be on “record-breaker” Pardeep Narwal who moved from Patna Pirates to UP Yoddha after a herculean bid at the PKL auctions. The three-time champions were expected to struggle after losing their star raider but Monu Goyat (15 points) and Sachin (7 points) stepped up in their Game 1 of the season against Haryana Steelers to secure a victory.
In fact, it was Pardeep who had a poor start to his season for the UP Yoddha, scoring just 8 points in their loss against Bengal Warriors. The all-time highest scorer of the Pro Kabaddi League will be hoping to change his fortunes against his former team. His biggest challenge at UP Yoddha will be the lack of another strong raider who can revive him quickly to the mat.
Siddharth Desai key for Titans
Telugu Titans’ fortunes will hinge around raider Siddharth Desai who had a decent, if not great, start to the season with 11 points in the Southern Derby against Tamil Thalaivas. The raider, known for his massive strength, will try to upset a relatively inexperienced Puneri Paltan defence who lost big in their first match of the season against Dabang Delhi KC.
The biggest positive for the Pune team from that match was Nitin Tomar’s performance. The reliable raider seems to have regained his lost fitness and looks set to play the lead role for Anup Kumar’s side who also have Rahul Chaudhari and Pankaj Mohite for support.
Vikash Khandola vs Deepak Hooda
Both Vikash Khandola of Haryana Steelers and Deepak Hooda of Jaipur Pink Panthers had poor opening match performances. Vikash, one of the stars of Season 7, just managed six points in his first outing while Deepak scored four.
Both the raiding departments look weak so don’t be surprised if the third match of the day turns out to be a tactical affair with multiple Do-or-die raids. Sandeep Dhull in the left corner for Jaipur is a talented defender and might be the difference-maker in the encounter.
All three matches will be played at The Sheraton Grand, Whitefield Bengaluru – the fixed venue for Season 8 of PKL.
