An excellent performance from the Jaipur Pink Panthers helped it secure its first victory against Puneri Paltan. That win was headlined by two High-5’s from Amit Kumar and Siddhagavali as the Jaipur Pink Panther defense rose to the occasion.
Here is the thing, though. Its defense was not really tested severely by a Puneri Paltan side lacking Nitin Tomar. This is why we are a little suspect of singing praises about the form of the Jaipur Pink Panther defense just yet.
Yes, the side would have gained in confidence but how long that will last against U Mumba remains to be seen.
The responsibilities of scoring the most raid points possible will go largely to Deepak Niwas Hooda. He continued his stellar run in the tournament with 8 points in the last match. He is a very good tactician and that will hold them in good stead as he takes on Fazel Atrachali and co.
U Mumba has had his best group stage of the PKL so far but it is still being closely pursued by the Gujarat Fortunegiants. The format of the PKl rewards teams that top the Zone and so U Mumba cannot really afford to rest on its laurels just now.
Leading the charge for U Mumba will be Siddharth Desai. He is closing in on 200 raid points for the season and has successfully established himself as the premier raider of the Pro Kabaddi League. His brute strength and speed make him a nightmare to guard.
If you had to pick between Siddharth Desai or the Jaipur Pink Panther defense then you would pick Siddharth Desai every single time.
At the same time, U Mumba’s defense is not going to make things easy for Deepak Niwas Hooda and the other Pink Panther raiders. Fazel Atrachali leads the PKl in tackle points while Surjeet Singh is a force to be reckoned with as well.
U Mumba has tasted defeat only four times this season. Each of those times was when the U Mumba defense failed to perform to expectations. We don’t see that happening this time around.
With seven victories in its last eight matches, U Mumba is in absolutely unstoppable form. The Jaipur Pink Panthers have also won its last two matches but went four matches without a win before that.
We think U Mumba is the far superior side in this contest. It is going to take something truly remarkable for the Jaipur Pink Panthers to come out victorious. Their offense will need to score more points than it has been doing and its defense will have to find a way to stop Siddharth Desai. Can it happen? It’s possible but we will certainly not be betting on it.
Back U Mumba to win.