BENGALURU: In-form Patna Pirates will be keen to continue their purple patch when they take on a struggling Bengal Warriors in the Pro Kabaddi League here on Sunday.
Defending champions Bengal have struggled to match the pre-season expectations with raider Maninder Singh often having to carry the burden of the entire weight on his shoulders.
They don't have the necessary raid power to attack Patna's star-packed defence, but will need to do it to stand a chance of winning the encounter.
Bengal are in a stage where they can't afford to lose more points in their bid to defend the title.
Patna's Mohammadreza Shadloui had eight points in their outing against Gujarat which would instil fear in the minds of the Bengal raiders.
However, the Pirates defence certainly has flaws -- they don't like the patient game and are prone to advanced tackling. Bengal raiders will need to toy with them for the first 10 minutes of the match, not giving them easy points and then hope the defence implodes.
The second match of the Triple Panga night will see Bengaluru Bulls take on Gujarat Giants.
Gujarat Giants have picked up some momentum in the last few matches with their raiders Ajay Kumar and Pardeep Kumar shining. They will need to go all guns blazing against a Bulls side still struggling with defensive solidity.
Bengaluru have looked better in their last two matches with Saurabh Nandal and Aman stepping up in defence but in Gujarat, they face a team in decent form.
Pardeep Kumar and Ajay Kumar have added more sharpness to the Giants raiding unit despite a forgettable loss against Patna Pirates in their latest outing. The experienced cover combination of Parvesh Bhainswal and Sunil Kumar will soon need to find that confidence that once made them the league's best duo.
The final match will feature Dabang Delhi KC and UP Yoddha.
Delhi will need a collective effort to ensure they remain on top of the points table at the end of the league stages. They have shown a tendency to sit back and let Naveen Kumar do all the scoring which has backfired ever since his injury.
They have an efficient backup plan – trust Vijay and Sandeep Narwal to be the all-rounders. Both have been brilliant for Dabang in the recent outings which will also give room to fit in another raider – Ashu Malik or Neeraj Narwal.
Their own seasoned defenders will need to watch out for U.P.'s Surender Gill. The raider has slightly dipped in form but still has been the team's standout performer. Yoddha will need a victory to ensure they stay in contention for a playoff spot after four consecutive losses.
