Two consecutive victories against their close rivals, the Bengal Warriors, have done the Patna Pirates a lot of good. The side has entrenched its position at number 2 a lot more deeply although it is still under threat.
A close win against Dabang Delhi K.C. in the last match extended that winning streak to three matches. Now, with Pardeep Narwal in good form and Jaideep leading the defense from the front, the Patna Pirates can be hopeful of getting the better of the Tamil Thalaivas.
Jaideep had an excellent season of Pro Kabaddi last year and is now one of the best defenders in the PKL again. He has 42 tackle points to his name already, the third most for any defender in the league, and is averaging 3.50 tackle points per game.
He is going to be one of the main players that the Patna Pirates bank upon for stopping Ajay Thakur and his men.
Pardeep Narwal is the current MVP of the league and is having a season to remember once again. With 122 rais points to his name at an average of 11.09 raid points per game, it is safe to say that Pardeep Narwal is one of the most potent offensive players in the PKL right now.
The Tamil Thalaivas have a tough task in front of them but a victory is not out of the realms of possibility. Ajay Thakur is one of the most experienced raiders in the PKL and already has more than a hundred raid points this season as well.
Ajay Thakur was also the chief reason why the Tamil Thalaivas were able to get the better of the Patna Pirates earlier this season. If Thakur can lead the Tamil Thalaivas from the front once again then his side has an excellent chance in this match.
Equally important for the Tamil Thalaivas in this game is Manjeet Chillar. Another experienced all-round player, Chillar has 40 tackle points to his name already. As someone who keeps the opposing raiders honest and can help out with raids himself, Chillar is absolutely invaluable to this side.
Both these sides are very rich in experience and have players that are well versed with the opponent’s tactics. We think this match has the potential to be closer than it first appears.
The head to head between the Patna Pirates and the Tamil Thalaivas is deadlocked at 2-2. The style of play between both sides is pretty similar as well with attack being the favored discipline.
There are some star raiders on both sides and a couple of very good defenders. These will be the players that the side is looking for but it is the other players in the squad that could end up making the final difference.
Back the Tamil Thalaivas to win.