Jaipur Pink Panthers have been quite poor this season with wins being few and far between. Their last match was a win but it came after a stretch of four matches. They have not been able to string together successive wins even once in the entire season of the PKL.
We can’t help but feel that this Jaipur Pink Panthers side has underperformed massively. There are some very talented players in the side but they have not been able to get the results for their side. Just look at Deepak Niwas Hooda as an example.
The all-rounder is having a break out year with his raiding skills being among the best in the PKL. He scored Super 10’s with alarming regularity and has tested the defense of all the teams he has gone up against but only a fraction of those performances have led the side to a win.
A senior player like Anup Kumar has fallen off the radar although thankfully Ajinkya Pawar has shown some promise which could develop further in the future.
There are also some very solid defenders in the Jaipur Pink Panther side. Mohit Chillar and Sandeep Dhull have had a good season without being outstanding. It is the backup players on both ends of the mat that have not been particularly good.
A few good matches can give the players the confidence to do well but it remains to be seen whether they are in the frame of mind at this stage in the competition.
Puneri Paltan has found point scoring a chore after they lost Nitin Tomar in the middle of Pro Kabaddi 6. Two wins from their last 12 matches show the kind of struggle they have had. Without their best raider, Puneri Paltan has had to change things around and try to push players in positions that they are not comfortable with.
Take the example of Sandeep Nrwal. The ‘beast’ as he is called is exceptional on the defensive end but now he is being asked to be the opening raider for Puneri Paltan on some occasions as well. More GB is an excellent second raider of the side but now he suddenly finds himself thrust into the position of being the lead raider. That is not something he has been able to consistently do even though he has had his best season in Pro Kabaddi so far.
Puneri Paltan has been transformed from a free-scoring side with a strong defense to one which leans more on its defense to keep it in the game. Girish Maruti Ernak and Sandeep Narwal will be hoping to target Deepak Niwas Hooda to keep the Jaipur Pink Panthers withing their scoring range.
The Jaipur Pink Panthers have been unable to string together good performances while Puneri Paltan is a shadow of itself without Nitin Tomar. Two wins from its last 12 matches show the difficulty Puneri Paltan has had in trying to get over the line.
Comparing the two sides head to head, we think that the Jaipur Pin Panthers and Puneri Paltan have a similarly strong defense. The difference between the two sides will be Deepak Niwas Hooda.
Back the Jaipur Pink Panthers to win.