BENGALURU: Three-time champions Patna Pirates would look to re-establish their credentials as title contenders when they take on Puneri Paltan in a Pro Kabaddi League match, here on Saturday.
Patna have struggled in their recent matches, largely due to their defence lacking the usual confidence.
Coach Ram Mehar Singh likes his team to have an aggressive approach but the absence of right-corner Sunil has clearly affected players' confidence.
Mohammadreza Shadloui will need more help from the right side, especially against Pune's raiding trio of Aslam Inamdar, Nitin Tomar and Mohit Goyat.
Pune's versatile set of raiders have performed admirably well this season, but their defence has been a major area of concern. The experienced corner combination of Baldev Singh and Vishal Bhardwaj has leaked too many points by committing to difficult tackles.
Both the teams will be desperate for a win -- Patna to stay in the battle for the top spot and Pune to ensure they remain in the reckoning for a play-off berth.
Patna will be praying both Monu Goyat and Sunil recover in time for the crucial showdown.
In the other matches on Saturday, U Mumba will face Telugu Titans and Jaipur Pink Panthers will lock horns with Tamil Thalaivas.
The young Titans overcame a difficult Jaipur Pink Panthers in the previous match and will aim to do the same against U Mumba.
Rajnish and Adarsh will be the key for Titans in the raids once again. Siddharth Desai has completed his recovery and could feature at least as a substitute against Mumbai.
Their biggest challenge will be sorting out their defence. Prince D, Surinder Singh and Akash Choudhary have all been enticed by the raiders to make errors -- something coach Jagdish Kumble will be hoping to iron out.
U Mumba have looked better with Ajith Kumar back on the mat. He and Abhishek Singh will be their raiding duo while Rinku and captain Fazel Atrachali will man the corners.
The 'Sultan' Fazel Atrachali is yet to explode in the tournament but with the season entering its crucial stages, one can expect the Iranian to prove his mettle.
Thalaivas might not have the points to show but they certainly have been amongst the best teams of Season 8. Their failure to convert close games to victories might come back to haunt them.
Manjeet and Ajinkya Pawar were effective against the Gujarat Giants, but they missed the sharpness needed in the dying minutes.
Thalaivas are certainly missing K Prapanjan's experience on the mat with Bhavani Rajput and Athul MS failing in the role of a secondary raider.
Captain Surjeet Singh had a surprisingly error-prone night against the Giants, but he will be looking forward to facing his nemesis Deepak Hooda of Jaipur. The two had an altercation when the teams met earlier this season in a 31-31 tie.
Arjun Deshwal and Deepak Hooda will need to take a cautious approach against a very effective Tamil defence with Sagar in the left corner. Their own defensive pairing of Sahul Kumar and Sandeep Dhull will need to ensure Manjeet doesn't get quick points for the Tamil team.
